Legacy 102: Dark Night Lights
by Dozo14
Summary: The second episode of my Legacy series about the next generation. Chris finds himself in conflict with his destiny and the Cupid sisters find themselves stuck with a new Whitelighter. Meanwhile, a pair of Darklighters seek to achieve their individual goals, putting them in conflict with the Halliwells.
1. Chapter 1

Legacy 102: Dark Night Lights

Xxx

Late at night, twenty-five year old Chris Halliwell walked down the empty hallway of the Memorial hospital. He was dressed in green scrubs and was pushing a stroller of laundry to deliver to the laundry room. Since a couple of years Chris worked as an orderly in the hospital, meaning he was responsible for cleaning up after everyone else. It was a simple job, but Chris liked it. The job was not that rewarding and did not pay well, but the hours made it easy for him to sneak out in case of a demonic emergency. Chris had been actively demon hunting since his teenage years, which is what he considered to be his real job, his destiny even. After finishing college, he tried to get another job, but was quickly fired after failing to show up in time due to his "other job". This job was perfect, plus it was nice to be able to help people in another small way. Nobody knew he vanquished demons to protect the innocent, but now people were actually grateful to him.

Chris put away the laundry and wanted to go on break, when he suddenly heard a strange jingling sound in his head. He instantly recognized what it was, as his father, aunt and brother had explained it to him a hundred times. It meant that a charge was calling out to him. However, that was impossible, Chris did not have any charges and he didn't want them. He had no desire to be a Whitelighter. He loved being a witch and he hated the Elders for everything they had done to his family. He would never work for them.

When he was younger, Chris wanted to be like his father, helping charges with magic, but as he grew older, he realized that the passive nature of Whitelighters was not really for him. Chris was not like his father, his brother or his aunt. He loved being a witch, he loved fighting demons. He had convinced himself that that was his destiny, not being a guide to others. And now the Elders were trying to tell him otherwise with that stupid jingle.

Chris headed into a personnel bathroom and splashed some water on his face from the tap. The jingle stopped and he took a deep breath. It had given him a headache. Suddenly, he noticed a trail of orbs appearing behind him in the mirror.

"Just leave me alone. I don't want this!" Chris called as he spun around.

Chris was surprised to find himself looking at his brother Wyatt, instead of an Elder like he was expecting, who looked back at him with confusion.

"What are you talking about?" Wyatt asked with a frown.

"Never mind, I thought you were someone else." Chris said. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, you know I don't like to say this but I need your help." Wyatt said. "You know that demon I've been chasing? I think I know where he will strike next."

"So?" Chris asked. "Can't you take care of it yourself?"

"Tried that, the bastard is slippery." Wyatt said. "It is some kind of reptile like demon, throws poisonous darts."

"Why do you always end up with the disgusting demons?" Chris asked. "Two weeks ago we had to deal with those Scavengers."

"Bad luck, I guess." Wyatt replied with a shrug. "Can you help me out?"

"Fine, I was supposed to go on my break anyway." Chris replied. "Lead the way."

Wyatt dematerialized in a column of orbs and rose up to the ceiling. Chris sensed his direction and orbed after him. A moment later, the brothers reappeared in a rocky patch near the beach. Chris could hear the waves crash at the rocks and looked up and the starry night sky. Wyatt signaled him to be quiet and to follow him. Chris followed his brother across the rocks until he stopped at a large rock, which overlooked a small fishing dock where light was burning in a small building.

"So does this thing attack from the water?" Chris asked.

"No, it doesn't go near the sea. It just picks remote locations away from the city. I think it comes from the forest." Wyatt said. "After a while, I noticed a circling pattern, like a hunting ground."

"Right." Chris replied. "So how do we vanquish it?"

"Got a potion right here." Wyatt said padding his jacket. "It's fast, too fast for my force field, so I need to you stop it from getting away."

"Okay." Chris replied.

The two brothers waited and Chris grew impatient fast. He needed to get back to the hospital, he did not want to spend an entire night in the cold. Wyatt was wearing a tick jacket, he was just wearing his hospital scrubs.

"So who did you think was showing up in the hospital?" Wyatt asked.

"It's not a big deal." Chris said. "I thought it was the Elders or something. I heard this stupid jingle."

"You got your first charge? That is awesome." Wyatt said excited.

"No, it's not." Chris said. "I'm not like you. I don't want to be a Whitelighter. I want to be a witch. They have no right to force me to do this."

"Look, I know you don't like the Elders, but this goes even beyond them." Wyatt said. "You were born as part Whitelighter, it is a part of you and a part of your destiny."

"I don't think so." Chris said. "It's not me."

Wyatt was about to reply when Chris shushed him. He noticed movement in the building and a moment later two fishermen stepped out, who began loading supplies in a small boat while drinking beers. That same moment, a shadow emerged from the forest edge to the right. It was a demon resembling a large and ugly lizard with dark green scales but with a somewhat humanlike face. It raised its claws and a dart of glowing green energy formed at both its wrists. The demon lashed out and the darts were fired at the fishermen, who briefly flashed green as the dart hit them, before slumping to the ground instantly like rag dolls.

"Let's move." Wyatt said as he reached for the potion.

Wyatt began running toward the demon, which turned to them and screeched. It raised its claw and fired another dart, but Wyatt raised a force field to deflect it. At that moment, Chris raised his arm and telekinetically flung the demon across the beach. However, the demon proved very agile as it jumped up and landed on the rocks while throwing another dart. Chris was barely able to deflect it and it zapped against a rock.

"Hold it!" Wyatt yelled.

Chris held out his and hand telekinetically grasped the demon. He tried to hold it in place but the demon was too strong and slowly moved toward him, fighting through his attempts to push it back. At that moment, Wyatt threw the potion and hit the demon in its mouth as it screeched. The demon let out a final deafening screech and exploded in a fiery blaze.

"Are you okay?" Wyatt asked.

"I'm fine." Chris replied. "What about the fishermen?"

"The dart contains a poison that paralyzes them, but leaves them aware." Wyatt said. "Stinger Demons devour their victims alive."

"That is disgusting." Chris replied.

"I know." Wyatt said. "The paralysis should wear off in about an hour. I'll put them back in the building. From the looks of it, they were pretty drunk, so we don't need to worry about exposure."

"Okay, I should get back to the hospital." Chris said.

"You know, Chris, you really need to think about this Whitelighter stuff." Wyatt said. "You might not want it, but you could be great at it. Forget the Elders for a moment and just think about your charges. You could help so many people."

"I don't care, Wyatt." Chris replied. "I help plenty of people the way I want to. I don't want this new responsibility forced down my throat, especially not by the Elders of all people. I just don't want to be a Whitelighter. Simple as that."

Before Wyatt could reply, Chris dissolved into a column of orbs and disappeared, leaving Wyatt alone on the beach. He sighed and then walked over to the fishermen to help them back inside to wear off the paralysis. Unknown to him, a trail of black orbs appeared between the rocks taking the shape of a young woman with dark skin and short black hair, dressed in a leather coat. She had a tribal marking on the right side of her face. She aimed a crossbow at the unsuspecting Halliwell, but discovered that she had just missed her true target. The crossbow disappeared in a puff of smoke and a moment later, the woman disappeared the same way she had arrived.

Xxx

Early in the morning, Prue Halliwell rushed out of bedroom dressed in a white blouse and black pants, with her hair being an utter mess and still wet. She had an important interview today and she was running a few minutes late in her planning. Since she started working at the Bay Mirror about two weeks ago, she had been working hard to make a good impression, but if she were late for her interview, all her hard work would be thrown out the window. She was still in her probation period and that weasel working in personnel was just looking for a reason to fire her.

As Prue ran to the kitchen, she nearly tripped over an unpacked box. She was still unpacking her stuff after moving back to her parents' apartment to look after her little sister. Meanwhile her parents were enjoying the book tour of her mother's new book in New York. Prue felt a little overwhelmed, with the new job and the move, her life was a complete chaos at the moment. As she poured herself some coffee, her younger sister Payton entered the living room dressed in jeans and a light grey jacket, along with a school bag hanging from her shoulder.

"Morning, you're up early." Payton said.

"Got an important interview today." Prue replied.

"Who are you interviewing?" Payton asked.

"This man who has been named volunteer of the year." Prue said. "He pretty much spends all his time at the children's hospital. I'm supposed to interview him about his work."

"Oh, that's nice." Payton replied.

"Yeah, I guess." Prue replied. "I mean, of course he does amazing work, but an interview like that is hardly going to get me on the front page."

"You're just starting out, you can't expect to get the best stories right away." Payton remarked.

"I know." Prue replied in an annoyed tone. "I just feel like I need to prove myself and deliver an amazing piece. Everyone still beliefs I only got the job because of mom."

"Look, you're an amazing journalist." Payton said. "I spell-checked all your term papers, remember? You're writing is great."

"You're really too smart for your age, you know that." Prue replied.

"I know." Payton said with a smile.

Payton made herself breakfast while Prue quickly drank her coffee and tried to arrange her impossible hair into something a little decent. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and both sisters looked up in surprise. Prue looked at the clock and saw it was eight in the morning, who could possibly be at the door this early?

"Expecting someone?" Prue asked.

"No, Henry sometimes gives me a ride, but he never makes it to first period." Payton said.

"Maybe it's one of the neighbors." Prue said.

Prue walked over to the front door of the apartment and opened the door. Once opened, she saw a young man with short and wavy dark brown hair and green eyes. He seemed about twenty-five and was dressed in a dark green v-neck shirt and jeans. Prue had no idea who he was, but she was quickly smitten by his appearance.

"Hi, can I help you?" Prue asked.

"Yes, I believe you can." The man said with a slight British accent that sounded dreamy. "You're Prue Halliwell, right?"

"Yes, I am. Do I know you?" Prue asked.

"Not yet, but we'll get to know each other pretty soon."The man said. "My name is Noah, I was sent by the Elders to be your new Whitelighter."

"Excuse me?" Prue asked confused.

"I'm your new Whitelighter." Noah repeated.

"Why?" Prue asked.

"Well, since the Source has returns and the Charmed Ones are gone, the Elders felt that you might need some extra guidance, since they suspect the Source will be coming after you." Noah explained. "They want you to be as ready as can be."

"But we have Whitelighters in the family." Prue said."Why would we need a new one?"

"Do you mind if I come in? I don't think we should have this conversation in a public hallway." Noah replied.

"Sure." Prue said as she stepped aside to let him inside and closed the door behind him. "Since when do Whitelighters use doorbells anyway?"

"Well, since this is our first meeting, I thought it would be polite." Noah said while Payton joined them in the living room. "You must be Payton, nice to meet you."

"Yeah, nice to meet you." Payton said a little uncertain. "So why do we need a Whitelighter?"

"Because the Elders felt that you might need the extra attention." Noah said. "You cousins are very busy fighting demons, plus they have their own charges to look after. Since you lack the same experience in fighting demons, the Elders believed you might benefit from having your personal Whitelighter."

"I don't know. All of this is a little sudden." Prue said. "We don't even know you."

"I understand, but my only goal here is helping you any way I can." Noah said as he walked around the apartment while looking around. "Where is your other sister, by the way?"

"She lives in dorms at her college." Prue replied. "Could you please stop inspecting our apartment?"

"Sorry." Noah replied. "I take it the Book of Shadows is being kept at the manor, do you have another book or spells or altar room here?"

"No, when we need to use magic, we go to the manor." Payton replied.

"Okay, hold on." Prue suddenly said. "Look, I appreciate you coming over and all, but we have lives to get to. Not to mention, we never agreed to taking on a new Whitelighter. We have never needed one before and I don't think we'll be needing one now."

"I understand your apprehension, but I have to disagree." Noah said. "You never needed a Whitelighter before, but things have changed. Your parents are gone and the Source is back, you and our cousins now bear the responsibility of the Warren line. I am only here to help."

"Okay, we need to talk about this first." Prue said. "But right now, I have to get to work and Payton needs to get to school. Could you please leave and come back another time?"

"Uh..Sure..Yeah I can do that." Noah said a little caught off guard before dissolving into a column of orbs and disappearing.

"What was that all about?" Payton asked after he left.

"I don't know. He just showed up out of nowhere, what else was I supposed to say?" Prue called out. "I don't even know what this will all mean for our lives. He is a direct line to the Elders. Do we really want that in our lives?"

"I know. We need to talk about this." Payton said. "And we need to let Penny know."

"I agree." Prue said and then suddenly noticed the time. "Oh no, I really need to get going or I am definitely going to be late."

Prue quickly gathered her things and put on her coat. Her hair was still far from perfect, but it would have to do. The whole thing with Noah had thrown her a little off her game, but now she needed to focus on her interview. She really did not need a Whitelighter popping up to distract her, especially not a really cute but somewhat annoying one. After finding her keys hidden in the couch, Prue said goodbye to Payton and quickly left the apartment . If she got lucky in traffic, she could still make the interview in time.

Xxx

That same morning, forty-something year old Jordan Miller walked down the street on his way to the children's hospital. Today, he was supposed to be interviewed by a journalist of the Bay Mirror since he was named volunteer of the year for his work. Jordan loved working at the children's hospital, but he really didn't want any of this attention. His volunteering was what made him happy and gave him a purpose, he didn't need recognition for it. Not to mention, he was quite awkward and shy when it came to dealing with adults. Children were much easier.

As Jordan walked down the street, a flurry of black and purple orbs appeared behind him, though nobody seemed to notice. The orbs took the shape of a young man with sleek dark brown hair and cold steel blue eyes, dressed in a black suit. The man walked close up to Jordan and started whispering in his ear.

"_Come on, Jordan."_ The man whispered. "_You know the true reason you work at a children's hospital. You are incapable of dealing with adult relationships, which is why you have no friends and had never been in love. The children are a safety blanket to deal with the fact that your life is an utter failure. It's pathetic, really."_

Jordan kept walking as the words entered his mind as his own thoughts. He wished he could stop thinking these negative emotions. His work should make him happy, but lately he felt like he was slipping into a spiral of depression. Sometimes he wondered if it was all worth it to keep going. What purpose did his life really have?

"_That's it, Jordan."_ The man whispered. "_Your life will never amount to anything. If you fall of the face of the earth, who would really miss you? Another volunteer will pick up your job, the children will forget and it will be like nothing you did ever mattered."_

Jordan stopped and stared up at the sky. He was in front of the hospital. What was the point of it all? Nobody would miss him when he was gone. He had no loved ones, the children would be fine, they would easily forget him once they could go home to their families again. If he were to jump of the hospital right now, would there be any one that would mourn him? As Jordan's mind spiraled on the depressing thought, the suited man behind him smiled as they entered the hospital together.

Xxx

To be continued… Please review! To those who may recognize the name Noah from my earlier stories, his involvement will be explained.


	2. Chapter 2

Legacy 102: Dark Night Lights 2

Xxx

After his night shift, Chris Halliwell returned home to the manor exhausted. After he returned from vanquishing that demon with Wyatt, a patient had gotten sick and he spent the rest of the night cleaning up after him. It wasn't fun, but it could be worse. At least he had not heard any more jingles. No matter what Wyatt said, he was sure he did not want to become a Whitelighter. All he wanted was for the Elders to stop bothering him and let him live his life the way he wanted.

Chris yawned as he walked to the kitchen and nearly tripped over a schoolbag lying in the hall. He silently cursed and kicked the bag aside. The manor had been a mess since his father had moved to Magic School and his younger cousin Henry Jr. had moved in. It had caused quite a lot of moving around, since Wyatt had now moved to the master bedroom, Chris had taken Wyatt's old room and Henry had taken his. So far, there was stuff lying everywhere, although Chris had to admit it wasn't entirely Henry's fault. Now that his father had moved out, Chris started to realize how much his father used to do around the manor. Now, nothing was being done. They needed to come up with a new system quickly.

When he reached the kitchen, Chris poured himself some juice and sat down. He would wait for the others to leave, then take a shower and go to sleep. A few moments later, Wyatt stepped into the kitchen freshly showered and carrying a large bag with camera equipment. At college, Wyatt had followed a class in photography and turned out to be a natural, so he now worked as a part-time freelance photographer. It was the same job his aunt Prue used to do, at least that was what their mother used to tell them, since they had never met Prue.

"Morning, where are you off to?" Chris asked.

"Hi, I am meeting Prue." Wyatt said. "She had this interview and she asked me to take a few pictures."

"Doesn't the newspaper have their own photographers for that?" Chris asked.

"I'm sure they do, but Prue asked me." Wyatt said. "And I could use the money."

"For what?" Chris asked.

"I don't know, how about groceries, clothes, stuff like that?" Wyatt asked skeptically. "Dad is gone now remember, we need to start making some changes around here."

"I was just thinking the same thing." Chris said. "We need to set up some kind of rules or system or something, especially with Henry."

"What about me?" Henry asked yawningly as he entered the kitchen with a sleepy head and just dressed in a shirt and boxers.

"We were just saying we're going to need to set up some rules around here." Chris said. "Like who does what chores, who pays for what, stuff like that."

"Oh, it's way too early for that." Henry replied as he walked to the fridge and poured himself a bowl of cereal. "We're out of milk." He added as he threw the milk card in the trashcan.

"I still needed milk." Wyatt remarked.

"Sorry." Henry replied with a shrug.

"Don't you have school or something?" Chris asked.

"First period is never really that interesting." Henry replied. "So what kind of system are we talking about here?"

"I think we should set up some kind of schedule." Wyatt said. "Figure out who cleans, who cooks, who takes out the trash, etc."

"Okay, so put up a schedule." Henry said. "Wait, can either of you actually cook? We've been getting take out all week."

"Uh… Not really." Wyatt said after exchanging looks with Chris. "Mom and Melinda used to take care of that, you know, they're the chefs of the family."

"Man, you're really hopeless." Henry remarked. "So I assume uncle Leo did pretty much everything here after they left?"

"Excuse me, what about you? You still lived with your parents until now." Chris replied annoyed. "What can you do?"

"I'm guessing more than you." Henry said. "We had a rotating schedule at home, since dad was at work like all the time and mom is a horrible cook. The twins and I did our fair share of chores."

"So you can cook?" Wyatt asked.

"Yeah, I guess." Henry replied.

"Great, then you can cook!" Wyatt said with a smile. "I have to go now or I will be late. We'll figure out the rest tonight or something."

Wyatt quickly drank his black coffee with a disgusted face and headed out the door. Meanwhile, Henry finished his breakfast and left the kitchen as well. Chris continued to drink his juice, but was caught off guard by a sudden jingle in his head and dropped the glass. He cursed and grabbed a towel to clean up the glass while the jingling continued. Why would this stupid jingling not stop? Perhaps he needed to make clear to the Elders that he was not interested. He did not want to see them, but they left him with little choice. After cleaning up, Chris dissolved in a column of orbs.

xxx

Chris reappeared in a column of orbs on top of the Golden Gate Bridge. He closed his eyes and focuses on reaching out to the Elders.

"I know you can hear me." Chris said aloud. "I want to talk."

A few moments later, a second column of orbs appeared on the bridge and took the shape of the Elder Odin, dressed in traditional Elder robes. Just seeing his arrogant face reminded Chris how much he hated them, not to mention Odin was the worst of them all, since he had deliberately tried to end the marriage between his parents for his selfish reasons.

"Why are you calling out to me?" Odin asked. "Don't you have a charge to take care of?"

"That is what I called you for." Chris replied. "I never asked for a charge and I don't want one."

"You cannot be serious. You called an Elder out here for that?" Odin snarled. "We don't always decide who gets charges, the connection is automatic. You were chosen for this, so stop complaining about it and do your job."

"I don't work for you!" Chris replied. "I don't want to work for you and I never will, so don't pretend you can boss me around."

"Show some respect." Odin replied in tranquil fury.

"Forget it, after everything you did and tried to do my family?" Chris remarked. "You don't deserve any respect. You Elders are nothing but a bunch of cowards hiding in your Heavens and letting others do all the dirty work."

"You dare…" Odin said furiously as his hands surged with lightning. "No matter who you think you are or what you think you deserve, boy, you are still talking to your better."

"Are you going to attack me now?" Chris asked defiantly. "Wouldn't be the first Elder to try hurting my family."

"What do you of that?" Odin asked as he calmed down and the lighting disappeared. "You were barely born when Gideon tried to kill your brother."

"Doesn't mean I don't know all about it." Chris replied. "I don't trust you Elders."

"You Halliwells, always thinking you're so above it all." Odin remarked with a demeaning chuckle. "You don't know the half of it. Did your family tell you why Gideon tried to kill him? Did they tell you what happened years later, when your brother was fifteen?"

"What are you talking about?" Chris asked confused.

Chris suddenly remembered the conversation he had with his brother two weeks ago, after the fight. It all had something to do with the moment Wyatt lost a part of his powers. His family never spoke about it, saying it was some kind of accident, but Chris always thought there something they were not telling him. Could Odin be talking about what happened to Wyatt, or was he just trying to mess with him? He was about to ask, when another column of orbs appeared and took the shape of Sandra, the female Elder.

"Enough." Sandra said. "Odin, you have said more than enough. I will handle it from here."

"No wait, what is he talking about?" Chris asked.

"Odin." Sandra said with a glare.

Odin nodded and disappeared in a column of orbs. Chris wanted to stop him, there was clearly something more going on here, but Sandra placed an arm on his shoulder.

"Chris." Sandra said. "I understand your hesitance about wanting to work with the Elders. But a connection to a charge is something very valuable."

"I don't want any of that." Chris said.

"I understand, but think of it from another perspective." Sandra said. "You have had your family your entire life to protect you and teach you. Not all witches have that. What if the charge calling out to you is lost or scared? It is your destiny to help charges as a Whitelighter."

"Why?" Chris asked. "Just because my father happened to be an Elder when I was conceived? I did not ask for Whitelighter DNA."

"It is more than that." Sandra said. "Whether you were born with Whitelighter DNA is only a small part of it. Becoming a Whitelighter is something you have to be destined for. You aunt and your brother, they were meant for it just like you. Meanwhile, your cousins were born with Whitelighter blood as well, but it is not in their destinies."

"So I can't refuse because destiny says so?" Chris asked. "I refuse to accept that."

"It is a little more complicated than that." Sandra said. "If you truly think this is not meant for you, we can talk later. But right now, there is a charge that is connected to you specifically. You are all she has right now and no other Whitelighter can help her. Please help her before you make your final decision."

"Alright." Chris said reluctantly. "But if I still don't want it after that, will you accept my decision?"

"Yes." Sandra replied.

"Okay, I will go talk to this charge, but don't get your hopes up." Chris said.

Sandra smiled and orbed away, leaving Chris alone with his thoughts. Odin's words about Wyatt still troubled him, but it was a concern for another time. Right now, all he wanted to do was sleep. After that he would check out this charge and finally be done with this mess. Longing for a hot shower and a warm bed, Chris orbed home.

Xxx

A little later that morning, Prue Halliwell stepped out of a taxi and decided to walk the last part to the hospital as she discovered the entire street was closed off by police cars. She wondered what was going on and hoped she could still get to her interview on time. However, as she came closer to the hospital, she noticed a large crowd gather along the entrance along with more police cars and fire trucks. A lot of people were pointing up at the roof of the hospital. When Prue looked up, she could vaguely see a man standing on the edge of the roof and realized he wanted to jump. She ran over to the crowd to take a closer look.

"Excuse me, what is going on?" Prue asked.

"He wants to jump, that is all I know." A woman replied.

Prue looked up again and covered her eyes to block the sun. She saw the man more clearly and suddenly seemed to recognize him. But it couldn't possibly be, could it really be him? Prue started going through her purse and pulled out the article about the man she was supposed to interview. She compared him to the man on the roof and her suspicions were confirmed. It was the same man. But how was that possible? He seemed like such a kind and happy man, he was just named volunteer of the year. Suddenly the crowd screamed and Prue looked up fearing the worst. Luckily the man was still standing there, but he was swaying over the edge. For a moment Prue thought she saw another man standing there with him, but a moment later there was nothing. It gave her a bad feeling and she felt like she needed to do something. She pushed her way to the front of the crowd, but was stopped by an officer.

"You need to stay back, miss." The officer said.

"Please, it is important." Prue said. "I'm from the Bay Mirror, I know him, I was supposed to interview him."

"Sorry, but I think that interview is cancelled." The officer replied.

"Dammit." Prue whispered as he officer turned away.

Prue knew she needed to get up there, she knew she could help the man with her powers if she could get close to him. The hospital was closed off and guarded, so she could not use the stairs or elevator. Luckily, she had another way to get up there. Prue left the crowd and headed into the alley on the other side of the street. When she was sure no one was looked, she closed her eyes and a pink light surrounded her until she faded away, leaving behind a glowing heart for a moment.

Prue reappeared in a pink glow on the roof. She saw the man standing a few feet in front of her and carefully put down her purse. She had to be careful not to startle him, or he would fall.

"Jordan?" Prue asked, remembering his name from the article.

The man quickly turned around nearly lost his balance. Prue gasped, but he managed to remain standing. He seemed scare and upset.

"Who are you?" Jordan asked.

"My name is Prue. I was supposed to interview you." Prue said. "But now I am here to help you."

"You? I talked to you on the phone, you're from the Bay Mirror?" Jordan asked.

"Yes, that's right." Prue said. "Can you please come down so we can talk?"

"No, I have to end this. I cannot take it anymore." Jordan said tearfully. "My life means nothing."

"Don't say that. I am sure that is not true." Prue said. "What about your family or friends?"

"I don't have anyone!" Jordan cried. "Nobody will miss me!"

"Then what about the children?" Prue asked. "The kids you help in the hospital? They love you. Their parents are so grateful to you."

"Someone will take my place, they won't miss me. Nobody will!" Jordan cried.

Prue did not know what to do. The man was unstable and in pain. She guessed that nothing she would say could calm him down. At least not until she felt how he felt. Prue closed her eyes and focused on Jordan, she reached out and wanted to feel what he felt. When her Empathy reached him, Prue gasped and wanted to cry out in pain. She felt overwhelmed by his emotions, his pain, loneliness and frustration. She could feel his desire to want someone to love him and his fear of being alone. She had never felt such horrible emotions, darker than she had ever experienced before. There was something about them that felt unnatural, like something demonic.

Prue realized that something was wrong here, that there was some kind of dark force at work. She reached out further with her Empathy and noticed something else. There was a dark shadow lurking near Jordan, like a black cloud in the shape of a man. It felt pure evil.

"Who are you?" Prue asked as she looked at the shadow.

"Who are you talking to?" Jordan asked confused.

The shadow turned to face her, at first it stood still, but then it started walking at her. Prue sensed a great hatred being aimed at her.

"Stay back!" Prue said.

When she shadow did not stop, Prue focused her power and fired a blast of psionic energy from her forehead, which expanded out into a wave and hit the shadow. It was forced back and cringed. It then stood up and took another step toward her while Prue took a step back. It then started moving faster and Prue screamed and covered her head by crossing her arms. However, before the shadow hit her, it dissolved and disappeared. Prue looked up and let out a sigh of relief. She then realized that Jordan was still on the edge and turned to him.

"Jordan, how are you feeling?" Prue asked.

"I feel… better." Jordan said confused. "I feel like a weight has been lift off my shoulders. I don't know what happened."

"I think it's better if you don't." Prue said. "Can you please come down?"

"Yes, I'm sorry. I have no idea what I was thinking." Jordan said as he stepped down from the edge. "This isn't me. I don't want this."

"It's okay, Jordan." Prue said. "You were going through something dark. It wasn't your fault. Did you happened to hear or see anything?"

"No, I just suddenly got all these bad thoughts in my head. It was like I was spiraling." Jordan said.

"I understand, believe me." Prue said. "What happened here is not your fault. You were confused. Listen, the cops will be up here any minute now that you're off the edge. They will probably want to admit you for your own safety. It will be okay, you're not crazy and you will be safe there."

"I understand." Jordan said while nodding.

"Okay, now comes the real important part." Prue said. "Nobody can know that I was here, okay? Neither of us will be able to explain it."

"But you helped me." Jordan said. "People should know what you did."

"No, they really shouldn't." Prue said. "Please promise me you won't say anything."

"Okay, I won't." Jordan said somewhat confused.

"Thank you." Prue said. "Now will you do me one last favor? Could you please close your eyes until I say you can open them?"

"Uh… sure." Jordan said with a frown.

Jordan closed his eyes and Prue quickly picked up her bag. She needed to get out of there before the police arrived. She would never be able to explain her presence without exposing her magic. She had more important things to worry about now, like finding out what that shadow was and why it was driving Jordan to jump of a building. Prue looked around to make sure she had left nothing behind and then beamed home. A moment later, the door to the roof was burst open and a squad of officers arrived on the roof. Jordan opened his eyes and looked around in confusion, wondering where his guardian angel had disappeared to.

xxx


	3. Chapter 3

Legacy 102: Dark Night Lights 3

Xxx

In the bright, cloudy heavens, Noah appeared in a column of white and blue orbs dressed in a green v-neck shirt and blue jeans. He found himself in the middle of a hall with white columns around him. Figures in white cloaks that covered their faces rushed passed him, either ignoring his presence entirely or merely shaking their heads before moving on in haste. It has been a while since he had been in the heavens, but it appeared that things had not changed at all.

Noah headed toward another hall in the opposite direction of the cloaked figures. He did not want to be here, but the Elders had summoned him. He was supposed to introduce himself to the Halliwell sisters today, but they had practically kicked him out. It was to be expected, after all, why would they just accept a new Whitelighter out of nowhere? The relationship between the Warren Line and the Elders was difficult to say the least. Noah entered a small clearing with columns surrounding him and a small stone bench in the middle. Besides the bench stood the Elder Odin, dressed in golden and white robes and looked down on him with disapproval. It was hard to hide the fact that Noah despised the man, but he held the key to his future.

"Why are you not wearing your robes?" Odin asked.

"You summoned me; I came as quickly as I could." Noah replied.

"Fine, just report." Odin said in an annoyed tone.

"I made contact with the sisters, at least two of them." Noah replied. "However, they were reluctant to accept the idea of a new Whitelighter. It will take some more time to win their trust."

"How difficult is it?" Odin snapped angrily. "They are witches, you're a Whitelighter. They should respect that relationship. They should respect your authority."

"After everything that that family has been through, do you really think it would be that easy?" Noah asked defiantly.

"Mind your tongue." Odin said with a glare. "Don't forget your place."

"My apologies." Noah lied. "May I ask how things are going with Chris and his new charge?"

"No, you may not." Odin said.

"I just don't understand why we're doing all of this." Noah replied.

"Are you ignorant or just plain blind?" Odin asked. "Everything we're doing here, assigning you to the sisters, giving Chris his first charge, all of it is designed to bring the Halliwells closer to us. With the Source of Evil back, we will need them on our side."

"But why the lies and trickery? Why not just be honest with them?" Noah replied. "If you want to rebuild their trust, you should trust them as well."

"They don't need to trust us, just as long as they listen to us, one way or another." Odin said. "Go back to them and try again. Do not take no for an answer."

"And what happens then?" Noah asked.

"That is not for you to know." Odin said. "Remember why you are doing this. If it were not for this assignment, you would still be suffering in eternal limbo. This is your one chance to redeem yourself. Do not ruin it."

"I will not. I am grateful for the chance to prove my loyalty." Noah said, although he harbored no real gratitude toward Odin himself.

"Don't bother." Odin remarked. "If it were up to me, I would have recycled you the moment you broke our most sacred laws. It is only because of the compassion of others that you were given another chance."

"I understand." Noah replied.

Noah took a quick bow and dissolved in a column of orbs that disappeared into the cloudy floor beneath him. Odin looked down and then turned away and started walking. One way or another, he was determined to get the Halliwells under control of the council for the sake of the Greater Good. However, he resented that entire family for their disrespect and selfishness. He wished there was another way, but the truth was that they were the most powerful force of good. Just why did witches always have to be so difficult?

Xxx

Somewhere in the afternoon, Penny Halliwell stepped out of a class at her college with some friends while chatting and laughing. With the rest of the afternoon free, they decided to get a coffee and just relax for a while. After having just been through a very boring history lecture, Penny felt like she really needed the break. While in class, her phone had been buzzing the entire time. Apparently, a new whitelighter had showed up at the apartment this morning. Penny wasn't really interested, as much as she enjoyed magic, she had no interest in a know-it-all, bossy angel interfering with her life. If he showed up, she would just tell him to get lost.

Penny and her friends walked to the coffee shop on campus and ordered a drink at the bar. While her friends got their coffees and sat down at a table, Penny waited as she had ordered last. As she looked around, she suddenly noticed a cute guy standing at the bar next to her. He had short and wavy dark brown hair and green eyes. He had a slender build and wore a green v-neck and tight jeans that showed off his cute butt as he leaned against the bar. When he noticed her looking, he smiled at her and Penny smiled back.

"Hi." The guy said.

"Hi." Penny replied. She looked at her friends, who were signaling her to go for it, as they thought he was cute as well.

"Are you a student here?" the guy asked in a slight British accent. "My name is Noah, I'm new around here."

"I'm Penny." Penny replied with a smile. "Where are you from?"

"London, originally." Noah replied. "But I've been around quite a few places. What about you?"

"I'm actually from San Francisco." Penny said as she was handed her coffee by the barista. "I've lived here all my life. So if you're looking for someone to show you around, you found the right girl."

"Really?" Noah replied. "And would you be willing go through all that trouble for me?"

"Well…" Penny replied suggestively. "I think for all that trouble you could buy me a nice dinner or something, say tomorrow night?"

"Very tempting." Noah replied with a smile. "But I am afraid I will have to refuse. You see, my employers would certainly frown on us going on a date."

"Wait, your employers? I thought you were a student." Penny said somewhat confused.

"Not exactly." Noah said as he looked up at the ceiling.

"Oh, God. You're the Whitelighter." Penny said little annoyed as she realized who he was. "Whatever you have to say, I don't care."

Penny turned around and started to walk away, though Noah walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her. Penny quickly spun around and grabbed his arm with a self-defense move, painfully twisting it until he cringed in pain.

"Don't touch me." Penny said. "Look, my family and the Elders don't get along. We never needed a Whitelighter and we certainly don't need one now."

"Could you please keep your voice down?" Noah said quietly while twitching painfully. "We're in a public place, do you want to expose us?"

"I don't care." Penny said annoyed. "What the hell was that just now? A little trick to get close to me? What do you want?"

Meanwhile, her friends had noticed something was wrong and came walking up to them. They looked worried, probably thinking Noah was some kind of creepy guy bothering her. Penny calmed down and let go of Noah while putting on a fake smile in front of her friends.

"Is there a problem here? Is he bothering you, Penny?" One of her friends asked.

"No, not at all." Penny quickly lied. "I was just showing him some of the moves I learned at my self-defense class, right Noah?"

"Right." Noah replied as he rubbed his arm.

"Hey listen, I know we were supposed to have coffee together, but I really have to get going." Penny quickly said to her friends. "I'm really sorry."

"Not a problem." Her friend replied. "We'll see you tomorrow. Don't forget we got that essay by the end of the week."

"I remembered." Penny replied with a smile. "I'll see you girls tomorrow."

Penny waited for her friends to sit back down and then gave Noah a quick glare before heading outside. She heard Noah calling out her name, but she ignored him. She put on her jacket and headed back to her dorm in a quick pace. As she crossed the grass of the campus, a column of orbs suddenly appeared before her and took the shape of the annoying but cute Whitelighter.

"Are you insane?!" Penny called out as she looked around. "You were just lecturing me about exposure."

"I checked if nobody was looking." Noah replied. "You were ignoring me."

"Yeah, well, get used to it, buddy." Penny replied as she pushed him aside and continued walking.

"Look, just listen." Noah said as he started walking with her. "I know your family has issues with the Elders. But part of the reason I was sent is because the Elders want to get past that. They want to earn back your trust. Now that the Source is back, all forces of good need to be united."

"Not interested." Penny replied, trying to ignore him.

Penny continued walked, but stopped when her phone started ringing in her pocket. She picked up the phone and saw it was her sister Prue. She let her bag fall off her shoulder and pressed it in Noah's arms as she answered the phone.

"Hey sis, I ran into your Whitelighter buddy, he looks nice, but he talks way too much" Penny said, before her sister started rambling on the phone in a panicky voice. "Wait, Prue, calm down. What is going on?"

"Alright, I'll be right there." Penny said after waiting for her sister to tell what happened. "Don't worry, we'll figure this out."

"Something wrong?" Noah asked as Penny hung up the phone.

"Prue saved a man's life, but she mentioned something about a strange shadow being there with all these negative emotions." Penny replied as put away her phone and grabbed her bag. "I have to meet her at the manor, so I have to go now."

"You know, there is a really quick way to get there." Noah said as he held out his hand.

"Are you serious?" Penny asked skeptically. "It's that against your little rules?"

"The rules never meant that much to me, part of the reason I was assigned to you." Noah replied. "Your sister needs your help. Perhaps there is something I can do. Just let me help you this once."

Penny looked at him with doubt and wondered what she should do. Prue sounded like she was freaking out. However, allowing him to help was like extending an invitation for him to become their Whitelighter. Penny wasn't sure that was a good idea. She understood his point of view about uniting good against the Source, but she wasn't sure her family wanted the Elders back in their lives. It could make things a lot more difficult. However, at the moment, she felt like they could really use the help. It didn't have to mean anything.

"Alright, just this once." Penny said. "After that, we'll see."

"Good enough for me." Noah replied. "Just take my hand."

Penny hesitantly reached out her hand as she looked at him. Noah seemed like a nice guy and he appeared sincere, but there was still something holding her back. Maybe it was the whole Elders thing or perhaps it was something else. She wasn't sure about him yet. As she placed her hand in his, she tried to read his mind using her power, though all she got was a bad static that gave her a headache. Noah didn't seem to notice though, instead he just smiled before orbing them both to the manor in millions of tiny blue orbs.

Xxx

Around the same time, Wyatt Halliwell came back to the manor and put down his camera bag. He was supposed to meet Prue at the children's hospital to take some pictures for her interview, but there was some kind of accident at the hospital and everything was closed off by the police. Wyatt tried to get through and see what was going on, but he couldn't get passed the mob. Meanwhile, Prue was nowhere to be found and she was not answering her phone, so Wyatt had left her a couple of messages and had left. With an accident or something, the interview must have certainly been cancelled, though he wished Prue had informed him before he showed up for nothing. When Wyatt put away his coat, he noticed Chris coming down the stairs.

"Hey, shouldn't you be asleep or something?" Wyatt asked.

"I tried to get some sleep, but I couldn't." Chris replied. "I am glad you're here. I talked to the Elders and I agreed to help my charge just this once."

"Good, I am glad." Wyatt said happily.

"Don't get excited. I only agreed to get them off my back." Chris said. "Part of the deal was that if things didn't work out, they would never force me to take a charge again. I'd let go of my supposed destiny."

"So you'd be fired from your own destiny?" Wyatt asked.

"No, not fired, quit. I would quit my destiny." Chris replied annoyed. "And it's not even my real destiny, just what the Elders want me to do."

"So when are you meeting your charge?" Wyatt asked.

"Since I can't get any sleep anyway, I figured I might as well get it over with now." Chris said. "But I could use some help. So how about it?"

"Help from me?" Wyatt asked shocked. "Is the extremely stubborn and independent Chris Halliwell asking for help from his big brother?"

"Very funny." Chris remarked. "You're good at this Whitelighter crap. I could use some tips, that's all. Don't get any big ideas."

"Alright, I'll help you." Wyatt said with a smile. "I got nothing better to do anyway."

"Weren't you supposed to help out Prue?" Chris asked.

"She never showed up, there was some accident at the hospital so I assume the interview was cancelled." Wyatt explained. "I tried calling her, but she didn't answer."

"Are you sure she's okay?" Chris asked.

"What? Of course." Wyatt replied casually. "I'm sure it has nothing to do with Prue. Not all bad things have to happen to our family, you know."

"I really hope you're right about that." Chris remarked dryly.

"If something was wrong, we would have heard about it." Wyatt said. "So let's go see your charge and I'll try to make sure you won't suck."

"Gee, thanks." Chris replied. "I've been trying to sense her for a while and I think I got her pinpointed. Follow me."

Chris dissolved in a column of orbs and disappeared. Wyatt smiled and shook his head, he had a feeling that this would be a disaster. Chris was hardly a people- person and very stubborn. Seeing him work with a new charge would probably be a very funny train wreck. Wyatt focused on his brother and orbed out following his trail. Moments after Wyatt left, a swirl of dark orbs appeared and took the shape of a young woman with dark skin and a tribal tattoo on her face.

"Damn, just missed him." She said annoyed and knocked over a vase standing on a small table.

The darklighter closed her eyes and tried to pick up the trail of orbs. She smiled as she sensed the location of her target and orbed after him.

Xxx

Chris and Wyatt reappeared in columns of orbs in a small park. Chris had sensed his new charge was around here somewhere and that she had been calling out to him again. He still hated the idea of having to work for the Elders, but his charge probably needed him. As much as he hated it, he could not turn his back on a person that needed help. He would just rather use his own magic as a witch, than guide someone else doing it.

"So what is the plan?" Wyatt asked.

"She is here, I think I can sense her." Chris said as he closed his eyes. "She is confused and a little scared, I am guessing she's a latent witch who has just come into her powers or something. She has no idea what is going on."

"You got all of that from sensing?" Wyatt asked. "That's pretty impressive for someone as new at this as you are. You're a natural."

"Please." Chris remarked annoyed. "I'm so not interested in this."

"Oh come on, you might like it after all." Wyatt said. "Hey, is that her?"

"Where?" Chris asked as he turned around and faced the same direction as his brother.

Chris noticed a young woman in her early to mid twenties walked down a path near them. She had blonde hair and was very beautiful, although she looked like she had not slept or washed and combed her hair in a few days. She wore a dark green coat and torn jeans. As Chris looked at her, he got a distinct feeling of recognition and knew she was his charge.

"That's her." Chris said.

"Is that the witch you're supposed to guide, Whitelighter?" a voice sounded behind them.

Chris spun around and saw a young woman with short black hair, dark skin and a tribal marking on her face, dressed entirely in black and holding a crossbow. He instantly knew what she was, a Darklighter.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Chris asked cautiously.

"The name is Jaden." The Darklighter said. "And I am here to kill you, but first, let's get rid of that silly little witch."

The darklighter raised her crossbow and fired an arrow at the suspected charge. Chris saw the arrow shoot past his face as if in slow motion. He turned and tried to use his telekinetic power to stop the arrow. However, he only managed to tip it and it changed course slightly, causing it to land in a tree close to the unsuspecting witch instead of hitting her.

For a second, Chris was relieved, but then heard a gasp behind him. He turned around and saw that Jaden had fired a second arrow that had punctured Wyatt in the stomach. His brother cried out in pain as his face turned pale and he fell to the ground. Before Chris could react, the darklighter raised her crossbow again and in the blink of an eye Chris saw a third arrow heading straight for his heart.

xxx


	4. Chapter 4

Legacy 102: Dark Night Lights 4

Xxx

With a wave of his hand, Chris Halliwell tipped the direction of the darklighter arrow, causing it to change direction and hitting a tree instead of his unsuspecting charge, a young blonde witch. However, he instantly realized the danger had not passed and turned around. At the exact same moment, Chris heard a gasp and saw that the darklighter had fired an arrow in his brother's stomach. Wyatt cried out in pain and fell to the ground with a pale face, but before Chris could react, the darklighter fired an arrow straight at his chest.

In a reflex, Chris orbed away and actually felt the arrow moving through him as he dissolved in millions of tiny orbs. He reappeared behind the darklighter and flung his arm to telekinetically throw her across the grass field. He then kneeled down by his brother and checked the wound. It was deep and the poison was already coursing through his body.

"Don't worry, you'll be okay." Chris whispered.

"Don't touch the arrow, its poison." Wyatt said.

"I know, I'm not a total rookie." Chris replied. "This is going to hurt."

Chris braced himself and then flung his fingers and telekinetically moved the arrow out of Wyatt, who screamed in pain. Chris quickly pulled off his jacket and pressed it down on the gaping wound. Meanwhile, he noticed the darklighter crawling back up.

"Keep the pressure on." Chris said to the brother as he stood up.

The darklighter, a young woman with short black hair and dark skin, stood up and wiped her crossbow with the sleeve of her leather coat. She had told Chris her name was Jaden, and from the tribal mark on her face, he could tell she was a Tracker, a powerful breed of Darklighters.

"What do you want? Why are you after my charge?" Chris asked.

"I'm not after your charge." Jaden replied. "You're my real target."

"Why?" Chris asked.

"Easy, you just got your first charge, but you're hesitant." Jaden replied. "I hunt weak Whitelighters that are either new to about to lose their wings. Plus, I can get a nice little bonus for taking down a Halliwell."

"A bonus, from whom?" Chris asked.

"Who do you think?" Jaden replied.

"The Source." Chris said instinctively, he knew that he would be coming after them sooner or later and it seemed like the Source to send someone else to do his dirty work.

"So now what?" Jaden asked. "You got a dying brother on one hand and a foolish little witch that doesn't have a clue on the other. No matter what, you can't save them both, so how about you just surrender and I'll allow them to live."

"Like I would trust the word of a Darklighter." Chris remarked.

Chris weighed his options and he realized that he was cornered either way. Wyatt was already dying of the poison, but his charge was a few hundred feet away with no idea what was going on. If he saved Wyatt, she could die and vice versa. Meanwhile, Jaden was playing with her crossbow with a smug look on her face, knowing that she had the upper hand. However, her crossbow was her biggest trump card. Luckily, Chris could do more than just move objects, he could also orb them.

"Crossbow!" Chris yelled as he held out his hand.

In a swirl of orbs, the crossbow disappeared from Jaden's hands and reappeared in Chris' hands. He then quickly fired and managed to shoot Jaden in the shoulder. She cried out in pain as she kneeled down and cursed. Chris took the opportunity to throw the crossbow away and grabbed his brother, orbing them both away.

Chris reappeared with the wounded Wyatt a few hundred feet over, right in front of his charge, who screamed as they appeared out of nowhere. Chris looked at his charge and noticed she was a beautiful blonde woman with green eyes, though she looked exhausted and like she had not showered a while.

"Where did you come from?" the young woman asked.

"That's a long story, but we don't have time to talk about it." Chris said. "I know that some really weird things have been happening to you and I can help you, but for now I need you to trust me and take my hand."

"How do you know?" the young woman asked. "Who are you?"

"We don't have time." Chris repeated as he noticed Jaden running toward them from the corner of his eye. "We're all in danger, so I am asking you to please trust me."

Chris held out his hand and his charge looked at his with a hesitant look. Meanwhile, Chris noticed that Jaden was almost within firing range and was already aiming her crossbow. He looked at his charge and a pleading look and she finally took his hand. Chris realized that Jaden would track him to the manor, so he needed to orb them somewhere else. In a column of orbs, the two brothers and the young blonde disappeared from the park, leaving a cursing Jaden behind.

Xxx

Chris and the other reappeared in a column of orbs in the grand hall of Magic School, scaring a few students as they all collapsed to the ground under Wyatt's weight. Chris got up and turned to one a student closest to him.

"Go get the headmaster!" Chris ordered him. "Now!"

The student nodded and he and a few others ran off. Chris picked up his brother and carried him over to a couch, putting him down gently. Wyatt had already lost consciousness and his skin felt like it was burning up, while his clothes were drenched in sweat. Meanwhile, Chris' charge looked around in shock and was freaking out. Chris knew he had to talk to her, though he wanted to look after his brother. However, knowing there was nothing he could do, he turned to his charge instead.

"Hi, what is your name?" Chris asked.

"It's Jessie." The young woman replied. "What is going on? Where am I?"

"It's a long story, but what is important right now is that you are safe." Chris explained. "My name is Chris, I am a Whitelighter, sort of like a guardian angel. Your subconscious has been calling out to me ever since you received your powers."

"How do you know about my powers?" Jessie asked. "Where do they come from?"

"It's magic." Chris replied. "You are a witch, although a latent one. It probably means that one of your parents had some magic in their ancestor."

"Wait, my father always called his grandmother a witch." Jessie said as if she suddenly realized something. "I always thought it was meant as an insult."

"She probably was a witch, it just skipped a few generations." Chris said. "The place you're in now is called Magic School. You will be safe here."

"Safe from what? What is going on?" Jessie asked confused.

Chris was about to answer her, when his father came running into the grand hall followed by the students from before. He was dressed in a black teacher's robe and actually looked better since moving into the school, though now he only seemed concerned. Chris walked over to his father and his brother.

"What happened?" Leo asked as he kneeled down next to Wyatt.

"A Darklighter, a Tracker." Chris replied. "I got the arrow out, but the poison is spreading too fast."

"Tracker poison is more deadly than regular Darklighter poison." Leo replied as he put in fingers on Wyatt's neck. "He still has a steady pulse, though it's weak. We still have a chance. Go over to that cabinet and get the dark green potion in the thin vial."

Chris quickly ran over to the cabinet and searched for the potion and his father started calling out for the Elder Sandra. When he got the potion, Chris ran back and handed it to his father. Leo opened the bottle and poured down some of the potion in Wyatt's mouth.

"That should slow down the poison a little." Leo said.

Wyatt's breathing seemed to become a bit stronger and he became slightly less pale. Meanwhile a column of orbs appeared and took the shape of Sandra, who instantly saw what was going on. She kneeled down next to Leo and started healing Wyatt. As she placed her hand on him, a golden light appeared from her hands.

"It was good you called me, another few minutes and he would have died." Sandra said as she noticed the potion in Leo's hand. "Smart thinking Leo, if not for the potion, I fear it would have already been too late. Now what happened?"

"A Tracker is after me, but hit Wyatt instead." Chris said.

"A Tracker, that is a serious threat. Is your charge alright?" Sandra asked.

"Yeah, she is right…" Chris as he turned to look at Jessie, but stopped when he noticed she was gone. "Uh.. Dad, anything dangerous in the school at the moment, or a way to get out?"

"She cannot leave the school, but this place can be dangerous for those who are not familiar with magic." Leo said. "You must find her before she hurts herself."

"But…" Chris replied.

"Your brother will be fine, look after your charge." Sandra said firmly.

"Alright." Chris said reluctantly and started running after his charge.

As he ran through the hallway, Chris hoped his brother would be alright. He did not understand why his charge would run away. Of course, she would be freaked out, but he had already told her she was safe. This was exactly one of the reasons Chris did not want to become a Whitelighter. He wanted to find away to vanquish that Darklighter, to make sure that she would never hurt anyone again and to get justice for his brother. Instead, he was running after a scared witch in order to babysit her. He hated being a Whitelighter.

xxx

Around the same time, Prue Halliwell rang the doorbell of the manor and waited. She knew the manor belonged to the entire family, but she still felt it was rude to just barge in unannounced. However, when there was no reply, she took the key from her purse and headed in. She was in a hurry. She needed to find out what that shadow of pure evil was and why it was after that man Jordan. She had never felt such hate before, it still sent chills down her spine.

Prue dropped her purse on a small table and headed up the stairs to the attic, where the Book of Shadows was. Once there, she opened the book and started flipping through the pages. However, she quickly realized she had no idea what she was looking for. She let out a frustrated scream. At the same moment, a column of orbs started to descend from the ceiling. However, instead of one of her cousins, Prue was surprised to see it was her sister Penny and the Whitelighter from before, Noah.

"What are you doing here?" Prue asked confused.

"He was bothering me at school when I got your call." Penny replied. "He offered to help just this once, so I decided to accept."

"You should have asked me first." Prue replied.

"Hey, you needed help right away." Penny remarked a little annoyed. "Besides, I don't need to ask your permission."

"When it affects all of us, yeah, you should." Prue said.

"Ladies, I thought we were dealing with another emergency here?" Noah asked, causing both sisters to glare at him with an annoyed expression. "Okay…"

"Fine, you're right." Prue admitted. "Like I already told Penny on the phone, I was supposed to interview a man who volunteered at the children's hospital. When I got there, he was on the roof about to jump and there was some kind of shadowy figure hanging around him."

"Like the Woogyman?" Penny asked.

"No, it was shaped like a man." Prue replied. "When it noticed I was there, it turned his attention to me and I felt pure evil and hate. It wanted me dead."

"So what happened?" Noah asked.

"I blasted it with a psionic blast and it disappeared." Prue answered.

"Did you kill it?" Penny asked.

"No, my power cannot be used to kill." Prue replied. "I managed to hurt it, but it still came at me, but then it suddenly disappeared."

"Have you tried to the Book?" Penny asked.

"I tried, but I have no idea what I'm looking for." Prue replied with a sigh.

"Maybe we should ask Wyatt and Chris to help." Penny said. "They got a lot more experience dealing with these sorts of things."

"I don't think that's a good idea." Noah said. "I was sent to be your Whitelighter in order to prepare you for facing the Source of All Evil. You can't keep running to your cousins for help, because someday, they will not be able to help."

"Okay, genius." Penny remarked. "If you know so much, tell us what we're dealing with."

"Alright." Noah replied somewhat uneasy. "From what I've heard, I suspect we're dealing with a Spirit Killer, a type of Darklighter that targets paragons of good and future whitelighters to prevent them from achieving their destiny."

"Wait, so the man I saved could have been a future Whitelighter?" Prue asked.

"Most likely." Noah replied. "Spirit Killers stalk their target while invisible, and then manipulate them by putting thoughts and ideas into their minds that will lead them to a depression."

"So that's why he wanted to jump." Prue reasoned. "As soon as the shadow had disappeared, he seemed to feel better, like a weight had been lifted. But how was I able to see the Spirit Killer in the form of a shadow?"

"Spirit Killers represent negative emotions such as hate, sadness and anger." Noah explained. "You're an empath. I don't think you could actually see the Sprit Killer himself, but merely the negative emotions he represents."

"So that is why I felt such incredible hate." Prue said.

"Alright, so how do we stop him?" Penny asked.

"That is the tricky part, these types of Darklighters are very powerful. On the few occasions good managed to defeat one, the Spirit Killer was taken to the Elders to decide his fate. Sadly, I never got to witness what happens when I…" Noah started to tell, before hesitantly stopping mid-sentence.

"When you what?" Penny asked impatiently.

"Never mind. I will need to check with the Elders if there is a way to vanquish one." Noah quickly said. "I suggest preparing some basic potions to at least weaken him or slow him down. And maybe it would be wise to call your sister, since you will be stronger with the three of you."

Noah took a step back and looked up for a moment before disappearing in a column of orbs. Prue wondered if he was right about the Spirit Killer. She also wondered whether or not it was a good idea to ask for his help. She looked at her sister.

"I'm sorry, he said he could help." Penny remarked.

"Did you just read my mind?" Prue asked.

"I didn't have to, it was obvious what you were thinking." Penny replied. "I am not sure about him either, but some of the things he said make sense. Maybe we are too dependent on our family. If he can help us become more independent and prepare for the Source, how can that be a bad thing?"

"It's not his offer for help I am concerned about, just the possible strings attached." Prue said a little worried. "I guess we should start working on potions."

"Should we call Payton?" Penny asked. "We might not be the true Power of Three, but there is still strength in numbers and we may need her power if we're going to find this creep."

"I guess you're right." Prue said. "She may be just a kid, but when the time comes, we will all need to be prepared. I'll go give her a call."

Prue walked away from the book and headed toward the window as she reached her phone and called Payton. She was probably still at school, but they needed to band together now. With their mother and aunts gone, the destiny of their family had fallen upon them and they needed to be ready. If only she would pick up the phone.

Xxx

Outside of the Halliwell Manor, a man dressed in a stylish black suit appeared in a swirl of black and blue orbs. He has sleek dark brown hair and cold blue eyes. His name was Bryce, a Spirit Killer. Earlier today, a witch had interfered with his assignment, saving the innocent. It annoyed him, in all the centuries he had been active, he had never once failed at an assignment, and he was not about to let a witch ruin this one. Since his victim was stuck in police custody, manipulating him further was pointless until he got released. Instead he could focus all his attention on making the interfering witch suffer instead.

Bryce smirked as he looked up, he sensed the witch using her phone. He focused on the phone and tracked the signal, whoever she was calling, Bryce figured that person could somehow be used to make the witch suffer. When he tracked the signal to a location, he disappeared in black orbs.

Xxx

As she sat in class, Payton could feel her phone buzzing in her pocket. However, her teacher was very strict when it came to phones and would certainly kick her out. Considering she had a perfect record, she did not want to get detention, so it would just have to wait. Shortly after the phone stopped buzzing, she got another short buzz telling her that she had gotten a message instead. She let her hand slip into her pocket and pulled out her phone. It was a missed call and a message from Prue, telling her to get to the manor for an emergency. Just a few minutes and class was over. Perhaps she could get Henry to give her a ride.

When class ended, Payton quickly said goodbye to her friends and headed out. As she walked down the hallway, she grabbed her phone to call Henry, but as she turned the corner, she bumped into someone and dropped her phone.

"Oh sorry." Payton quickly said as she kneeled to pick up her phone.

When she picked up her phone off the ground, she noticed the battery had fallen out. However, as she looked for it, the person she bumped into kneeled down as well and picked it up. Payton looked at him and saw it was a man with dark brown hair and very bright steel blue eyes. He had an intense stare and Payton felt her heart skip. He was very handsome and his eyes almost had something hypnotic about them.

"I'm sorry." Payton repeated.

"It's no problem." The man said. "Payton, right?"

"Do I know you?" Payton asked.

"No, but I know your sister." The man said.

Payton suddenly got a very bad feeling about the man and every fiber in her body told her to run. He was not just any man, she knew that for sure. She quickly got up but the man grabbed her arm. Before she could make a move, he placed a hand on her mouth and Payton could feel herself disappearing as he orbed them away in black orbs.

xxx


	5. Chapter 5

Legacy 102: Dark Night Lights 5

Xxx

Lost and scared, newly discovered witch Jessie ran across a huge place apparently called Magic School. Somehow, the long hallways she was running through never seemed to end. Every time she thought she got close to an exit, it was if she suddenly found herself at the start of the hall again. She had no idea what was going on and she just wanted it to stop. It all started five days ago when she woke up with her bedroom on fire. She panicked and tried to run, but somehow firework-like sparks shot from her hands and burned her curtains. Eventually she had managed to put the fires out and calm down, but every time she became emotional, these sparks appeared again. Over the last few days she had maybe slept a couple of hours and had not even showered. She was just too afraid that something would happen.

Now, on top of all that was happening, this handsome stranger had appeared, calling himself a guardian angel, and had somehow taken her to this school. Jessie did not know whether she had lost her mind or if the world around her had just gone insane. It just needed to stop.

Jessie stopped at a door and tried to open it, luckily it opened and she went inside. She found herself in what appeared to be a class room, though it was mostly empty except for medieval suits of armor against the walls. There were no windows and the room was lit by a large wooden chandelier in the middle of the room.

"What is this place?" Jessie asked herself as she looked around.

Seeing no way out, Jessie turned to the door again but suddenly found it locked. She slammed her hand against the door, but it was stuck. Suddenly, she heard a squeaking sound behind her and she looked over her shoulder. One of the suits of armor came to life and drew a long sword as it stepped toward her in a slow, robotic manner. Jessie closed her eyes and hoped this was not really happening, but when she opened them again, she barely managed to dodge the sword as it struck the door behind her. Jessie screamed and rolled aside as the armor pulled the sword from the door and walked toward her.

"Leave me alone!" Jessie screamed as she aimed her hands at the armor.

Suddenly, red firework-like sparks erupted from her hands and shot at the armor, which exploded into different parts as it was hit. Shocked, Jessie looked at her hands; because it was the first time the weird sparks had actually helped her. However, before she had time to relax, two more suits of armor awakened and came at her.

At the same time, the door flew open and the dark-haired guy from before entered the classroom. He flung his arm and the suits of armor were thrown back by an invisible force and fell apart as they crashed against the wall. She remembered his name was Chris.

"Come on." Chris said as he grabbed her by the arm and dragged her out of the classroom.

"Where the hell am I?" Jessie asked as they got back to the hallway. "What were those things?"

"Suits of armor." Chris said. "They are enchanted for the students to practice using their powers offensively."

"This place is insane." Jessie said. "I don't know what is going on, but this is not me. There has to be some mistake or something. I don't want this. I cannot control this."

Jessie raised her hands as she ranted and accidentally fired another couple of sparks that set Chris' sweater on fire. He freaked and quickly managed to pull it off before stepping on it to put out the flames. He sighed and looked at her.

"I know this is difficult, but you were meant to have this power, which means you can learn to control it." Chris explained. "A Whitelighter can help you learn how to use your magic."

"But I don't want magic." Jessie replied. "My life was perfectly fine before all of this. I was happy. I had a nice job which I'm probably fired from now for not showing up in five days. I don't want this in my life."

"But you were born with it. It's a part of your destiny." Chris replied.

"I don't care, that doesn't mean I want it." Jessie said.

"I know what you mean." Chris suddenly said. "Trust me, I understand. People keep telling me that it is my destiny to be a Whitelighter, but I don't want it either."

"So why are you helping me?" Jessie asked.

"A connection between a Whitelighter and a witch sometimes occurs naturally." Chris said. "Your subconscious called out to me because we have one of those connections. I promised the Elders I would help you for now, until I decide whether to accept this destiny."

"The Elders?" Jessie asked confused.

"A group of powerful Whitelighters that act as the authority of good magic." Chris replied somewhat annoyed. "They think they can boss everyone around just because of their position."

"Wait, so you can deny your destiny as a Whitelighter?" Jessie asked. "Then why are you telling me that I should accept mine as a witch? What makes you not wanted to be a Whitelighter any different from me not wanting to be a witch?"

"I guess you're right." Chris said after some consideration. "I have just always loved being a witch. I never thought about it like that."

"Wait, you're a witch as well?" Jessie asked confused.

"Yeah, I'm sort of both, long story." Chris replied. "Anyway, we should get out of here and get you somewhere safe for the time being. The darklighter might come after you to get at me."

"So I'm supposed to stay in this school for who knows how long?" Jessie said. "I just want to go home. I have been so freaked out the last few days I barely slept or anything. I need some new clothes and a shower."

"It's not really safe, the darklighter can track us." Chris replied.

"So come with me." Jessie suggested. "You can keep me safe at my apartment for an hour or so while I take a shower, right?"

"Uh, in your apartment, while you shower? Right." Chris said a little flustered. "I will need to check on my brother first."

Jessie could not help but smile at the awkward and embarrassed look on Chris' face as she mentioned the shower. It was cute, just like he was. It somehow made her feel a little better about this whole mess and she calmed down a bit. Her power seemed to flare out of control when she freaked out, so she just needed to keep calm, and for some reason, Chris made her feel safe for the first time in days.

Xxx

In the Halliwell attic, Prue let out a frustrated sigh as she dropped her phone on the table. She had been trying to reach her youngest sister for almost half an hour and she was not picking up. She was starting to get a little worried. Meanwhile Penny was busy creating all kinds of potions, since neither of them knew what would work on a Spirit Killer.

"Still not picking up?" Penny asked.

"No, must be in class or something." Prue replied.

"You don't think something is wrong, so you?" Penny asked concerned.

"I hope not, the Spirit Killer doesn't know who I am, so there is no reason Payton would be in danger, right?" Prue asked a little insecure.

"I hope you're right." Penny replied.

A column of orbs descended down from the ceiling and took the shape of Noah, their cute new Whitelighter, though the jury was still out on whether they liked him or even trusted him or that matter. Penny and Prue exchanged glances and were probably both thinking the same thing.

"So what is the news?" Prue asked.

"Well, it's not good news, I can tell you that." Noah replied. "We are definitely dealing with a Spirit Killer. They are pretty hard to deal with; last time the Elders dealt with one was when your mother and aunts dealt with one in 2000."

"How did they vanquish him?" Penny asked.

"They didn't." Noah answered. "Your uncle Leo orbed him away and the Elders were forced to recycle him."

"Wait, recycle?" Penny asked with a skeptical look. "What does that mean?"

"It means forced reincarnation, to start a new life fresh from one's past completely." Noah explained. "Spirit Killers are the most powerful kind of Darklighters, though they never engage in physical battle. They prefer manipulation and weakening one's spirit. There is no known way to vanquish them."

"So what do we do?" Prue asked.

"We have to take him down, either stun him or knock him unconscious long enough for me to orb him to the Elders to be recycled." Noah replied.

"Well, luckily, we have been working on all kinds of potions that could help with that." Penny said.

"Do you know anything else?" Prue asked.

"Actually, I do, but I am not sure." Noah replied. "The Elders suspect they know who this Spirit Killer is. According to them, he goes by the name Bryce and has been active for hundreds of years. He takes a lot of pride in his work and if our information is correct, this is the first time someone has managed to stop him from killing a target."

"So there is a big change he will take this personally?" Penny asked.

"Definitely." Noah replied. "If we are dealing with Bryce, he will want payback."

"Oh god!" Prue called out. "Payton! I knew something was wrong. You need to orb to her school right now, check if she is still there."

"Alright." Noah said immediately and he disappeared in a column of orbs.

Prue ran back to the table to pick up her phone to call Payton, but before she could, it stated ringing. Prue looked and noticed it was Payton calling her. She quickly picked up.

"Payton, is that you? Are you okay?" Prue asked panicky.

"Your sister is fine, for now." A male voice sounded on the other side of the line.

"Bryce, I assume? What have you done to my sister?" Prue asked as Penny appeared next to her to listen in.

"You know who I am?" Bryce asked with an amused tone. "I'm impressed. Don't worry, your sister is safe. I am not interested in her."

"Then what do you want?" Prue asked.

"What do you think? You interfered with my target, who is now locked in a mental facility, meaning I cannot continue my work until he is released." Bryce explained. "You cost me a lot of time."

"I doubt it is just about time." Prue replied with a smirk. "Must have stung that you failed for the first time in hundreds of years, all thanks to one witch."

"What are you doing?" Penny whispered with a 'why-are-you-pissing-him-off' kind-of look, worried about their sister.

"I will admit I am a little annoyed with that, you cost my perfect record." Bryce replied. "But I imagine taking your life and spirit will make up for that."

"So what is the plan?" Prue asked as she walked away from Penny. "You would hurt an innocent to get even at me? Or lure me into your trap?"

"What do you think I am? Some simple-minded demon?" Bryce replied somewhat annoyed. "I am a Spirit Killer; I only care about my targets and my personal score. You got in my way, so you've become my next target, I could not care less about your sister, and she is just a means to an end."

"So we will make an exchange, you release my sister and I will come to you." Prue proposed. "An even trade, then we'll see how we settle your so-called score."

"Fine, we have a deal." Bryce replied. "We will meet tonight, at sunset, I will text you the location. Until then, your sister will remain unharmed."

Before Prue could say anything, Bryce disconnected the phone and she heard a beep. She closed her phone and looked at her sister, who wanted to know what was going on and was obviously annoyed.

"I know what I am doing." Prue replied. "He does not care about Payton; all he wants is revenge against me."

"How can you be sure of that?" Penny asked. "What if you are walking into a trap with your eyes wide open?"

"So we set a counter trap, he probably knows about you, but he won't anticipate Noah." Prue explained. "If I can get him with a potion and take him down long enough, Noah can orb in and take him away."

"So we are trusting Noah now?" Penny asked. "I thought we were still unsure about him?"

"So far, all he has done is help." Prue replied. "And besides, the Elders might not be our best friends, but they are still forces of good, so they would never endanger us willingly."

"I don't know, you're taking a lot on faith." Penny said. "We can call Wyatt and Chris to help."

"No, we can't. When I was trying to reach Payton, I already texted Chris. They have their own problems to deal with." Prue explained. "Besides, we still have each other, and even if we can't trust Noah, I know I can trust you."

"Okay, fine." Penny replied with a sigh and a half smile. "I'll go change into my evil-ass-kicking clothes and meet you back here before sunset."

Prue smiled faintly as Penny left the attic. As confident as she acted, she was still terrified that something would go wrong and that someone would get hurt. She was not used to this side of being a witch. She had been raised in safety her entire life, and now all safety nets were gone. She and her cousins were on their own, and Prue realized how much she missed her parents. As she looked at her phone, she considered calling them, but she knew she was an adult now, meaning that she had to learn to take care of herself and her sisters. She put the phone away and continued bottling the potions for her confrontation with Bryce.

Xxx

Chris Halliwell sat uncomfortably on the couch in Jessie's small apartment. After checking in with his father and brother, he had orbed his charge home to freshen up and was now standing guard to make sure she was not in danger. She had left her bedroom door open and Chris could hear the shower running from the following room. The thought that she was showering so close to him gave him an awkward feeling and he felt a little unsure about how he should handle the situation. He did not even know why he was so nervous, he saw patients naked in the hospital all the time and it was not like he had never been with a girl before. But Jessie was his charge, and vulnerable at the moment, and how he was currently thinking about her was very wrong. He had not noticed how beautiful she was until he talked to her in Magic School, now it was all he could think about.

Chris tried to think about other things, like the reason he was there in the first place, Jaden the Darklighter. He had become her target because his charge connection had been activated, and on top of that the Source of All Evil had offered her a reward for killing a Halliwell. Jaden was a powerful enemy, and he needed a way to vanquish her. She was resistant to his powers and her own arrows, but Chris figured that a powerful potion might be enough in combination with a spell. He looked around for a piece of paper and a pen, and tried writing a spell, which was not really his specialty.

"Chris?" Jessie asked.

Chris looked up and saw her standing in the door opening, dressed in a short purple bathrobe that barely reached beyond her thighs. Her hair was still wet and she looked stunning.

"Yeah?" Chris replied.

"Are we still safe here? Can the darklighter track us?" Jessie asked.

"I think we're safe for a little while, as long as neither of us use our powers." Chris replied. "But it's better to not stick around for too long."

"Okay, I should probably get dressed." Jessie replied.

"Sure." Chris mumbled somewhat awkwardly.

"You know, I have been thinking a lot about this whole witch thing." Jessie said. "What will happen if I decide I really don't want it?"

"Well, that depends." Chris said. "Have you made up your mind?"

"Not yet." Jessie replied as she sat down next to him on the couch, very close to him. "You said it was my heritage, but that doesn't mean I have to accept it, right? I was happy with my life before all of this happened."

"If you decide you really don't want to be a witch, there is something called a binding potion." Chris replied, trying not to look at her. "It will suppress your magic completely, but it's not permanent, so you can always change your mind."

"I see. Thank you." Jessie said.

"For what?" Chris asked.

"For everything." Jessie replied. "Saving my life, explaining what it going on, and making me feel safe. I have not slept in days because I was scared. With you here, I finally feel like I can relax. I just want to thank you for that."

Chris suddenly felt Jessie moving closer and placing a hand on his leg. Chris quickly jumped up and turned to her. The bathrobe was quite revealing as she was sitting there and Chris quickly looked away, this was not supposed to be happening.

"What is wrong?" Jessie asked. "I noticed the way you were looking at me, I thought you wanted to…"

"I can't." Chris replied. "I am a Whitelighter and you are my charge, it's forbidden. Besides, you are scared and confused, you haven't slept in days. I don't want to take advantage of that."

"Look, I may be tired and scared, but I am not confused anymore." Jessie said as she got up. "I just know that you make me feel safe and right now I really need to feel safe. It does not have to be more than that. Just let me feel safe with you."

Jessie came closer to Chris and leaned in against his body, kissing him on the lips. As much as Chris wanted to follow the rules, she was making it very difficult. Against his better judgment, he started kissing her back and forgot about everything else. Jessie smiled and untied her robe, letting it fall to the ground. God, she was beautiful. She then placed her hands under his shirt and started lifting it up as she maneuvered them into the bedroom.

xxx


	6. Chapter 6

Legacy 102: Dark Night Lights 6

Xxx

Late in the afternoon, Henry Jr. returned home to the manor after a long day of school and with his arms filled with grocery bags. With his arms full and unable to get his key, he looked around to make sure nobody was looking and then orbed through the front door. Inside, he placed the grocery bags on a side table and stretched his arms. So far living in the manor had been underwhelming, when he moved out of his parents' house, he figured he would be free of parental control and chores, but that had been a big disappointment. His parents checked in every few days and now he was also stuck doing even more chores than he was used to doing at home, since Wyatt and Chris did next to nothing around the manor. He was supposed to be youngest, though at the moment he felt the most responsible of the three of them.

When Henry walked into the foyer, he noticed Prue coming down the stairs in a hurry. She seemed lost in thoughts and almost walked straight past him.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Henry asked.

"Oh, Henry." Prue said as she noticed him and turned around. "I needed to use the Book of Shadows real quickly."

"Is something wrong?" Henry asked.

"Oh, not really, nothing I can't handle." Prue replied unconvincingly.

"Are you sure? You don't seem sure." Henry remarked skeptically.

"Alright, we got something going on, but Penny and I can handle it, plus we got a new Whitelighter helping us, so we're fine." Prue replied. "Getting you involved would only increase the risk for all of us."

"Well, aren't we all supposed to be in this together with the whole magic thing?" Henry replied. "And you got a new Whitelighter?"

"Look, I don't have time to explain it all; you just need to trust me." Prue replied.

"I do, but…" Henry started before Prue interrupted him.

"Good, now I really need to get going. I will call if anything goes wrong, okay?" Prue replied.

"Fine, I guess." Henry replied doubtfully. "Just be careful."

"I will." Prue said as she gave him a quick hug. "Don't worry about it."

Prue quickly said goodbye and disappeared in a pink, heart-shaped glow. Henry knew there was definitely something wrong and she was not telling him the whole story. He grabbed his phone and tried calling Payton. They were closer in age and friends, so maybe she would tell him what was happening instead of treating him like a little kid and not involving him. When she did not pick up, he was definitely convinced something was wrong.

Henry headed up the stairs to find some answers in the attic, but before he could, a wooden door magically appeared in the stairway and his uncle Leo came walking out dressed in his Magic School robe. He was supporting Wyatt, who was barely able to stand and slipping in and out of consciousness.

"Henry, good, you're here." Leo said. "Give me hand."

"What is going on?" Henry asked as he grabbed Wyatt and helped his uncle carry him to the couch.

"Long story." Leo replied as they placed Wyatt on the couch. "Chris got his first charge, but he became a target to a powerful Darklighter. While trying to save the charge, Wyatt was shot with a Darklighter crossbow. He was healed in time, but the poison was exceptionally strong, so he will need some time to rest and recover."

"So where is Chris now?" Henry asked.

"He is with his charge, keeping her safe for the moment." Leo replied. "Meanwhile, I got a school full of students to get back to, so I need you to look after Wyatt for the time being, just in case."

"No, wait a minute." Henry called out. "Chris is being hunted by a Darklighter, the girls have something going on and could be in danger, and you want me to babysit while you get back to teaching classes?"

"There is nothing I can do here, Henry, as much as I would want to." Leo replied sadly. "I have my obligations to the school, and as much as I want to protect my children and all of you, the time has come where you need to take care of each other."

"Well, how is that going to work if everyone is risking their lives without talking to each other?" Henry replied annoyed.

"That will be for all of you to figure out." Leo replied. "With your mothers, there was just the three of them, but there are more of you, so you will all need to find a balance between helping each other and trusting each other to take care of themselves."

"Alright, I get it." Henry replied reluctantly. "This just sucks."

"I know." Leo replied as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "But don't forget who your family is, you are the children of the Charmed Ones and descendants of the Warren line, the most powerful witches in history. You and your cousins need to have faith in who you are and trust that your family magic will protect you."

"Okay, I will stay here and babysit." Henry remarked.

Leo checked on Wyatt one last time and then headed back to Magic School, leaving Henry alone with the sleeping Wyatt. As much as he hated it, his uncle Leo always knew what to say and Henry had to admit that he was right. He just needed to trust that his cousins could take care of themselves and that if they truly needed it, they would ask for help. Henry walked over to the closet under the stairs and grabbed a blanket, which he put over his sleeping cousin. He then sighed and headed to the kitchen to put away the groceries.

xxx

Chris Halliwell was staring at the bedroom ceiling while Jessie was peacefully asleep in his arms, half wrapped in the sheets. He could not believe what he had done and felt horrible about it. Not that it had been bad, it was amazing, but it was just wrong at the same time. Not only had he broken one of the most basic rules of being a Whitelighter, he also felt like he had taken advantage of Jessie. It was another thing he could add to the list of reasons why he should not be a Whitelighter. Sleeping with Jessie had been a reckless mistake and he needed to do something to make up for it, and right now the only reason he could think of was give her the peace she wanted, meaning he needed to vanquish the one that was threatening the both of them.

Chris slipped out of bed careful not to disturb Jessie, since she could really use the rest. He quickly put on his boxer briefs and t-shirt and headed to the living room, closing the door behind him. He needed to think for a moment how he was going to handle the situation. Right now, the most important thing was vanquishing Jaden. Chris sat down on the couch and picked up the piece of paper he had written on earlier. He had barely begun writing a vanquishing spell when Jessie interrupted him and he was not even sure a spell alone would be powerful enough to vanquish Jaden. He could head to the manor and make a potion, which would be a risk as it was probably exactly what Jaden expected him to do. He sighed as he dropped the paper and tried to figure a way out of this mess, not only with the Darklighter, but with Jessie and the Elders as well.

Suddenly, the door of the bedroom flew open and Chris looked up expecting to see Jessie. Instead, he saw Jaden standing there, holding an arrow to a terrified Jessie's neck instead, who was dressed in just a sheet. Jaden looked at Chris with a smug and amused look and he felt caught and defenseless, standing there in his underwear.

"Chris!" Jessie pleaded tearfully.

"Sleeping with your charge, Chris?" Jaden asked as they moved into the living room and stopped in the middle of the room. "Not very Whitelighter-like. But then again, I guess that runs in the family, doesn't it?"

"How did you find us?" Chris asked.

"Please, I am called a Tracker for a reason." Jaden replied. "It took me a while, since I wasn't able to track your powers, but I have other skills as well. I just had to resort to something a little more old-fashioned."

"Just let her go." Chris said. "She has nothing to do with this. It is me you are really after."

"True, but I won't mind killing her, killing a witch is always good for business." Jaden replied with a shrug. "Besides, I will take pleasure in seeing you hurt before I kill you. She does mean something to you, right? or was this just some against-the-rules booty call?"

"Shut up." Chris replied. "You don't know anything about me."

"Oh, but I do." Jaden replied. "Your witch-thing aside, I have hunted down dozens of Whitelighters that were new to the cause or were about to lose their wings. They all share the same distinction; they are weakened by their own insecurities, reluctant or unable to accept their calling."

"So you like kicking people when they are down." Chris replied. "Big deal, you're evil, you can't even understand what being a Whitelighter means, so don't pretend you know what you are talking about."

"Fine." Jaden replied somewhat annoyed. "I may not know what being good means, but I do know what it means to be good at a calling, whether that is good or evil. At least I can own up to what I do and I really enjoy doing it."

"So do I, I just prefer one calling over another." Chris replied as he held out his hands. "Arrow!"

A swirl of orbs appeared around the arrow as Chris tried to orb it to him, but Jaden clenched her fist around the arrow and the orbs disappeared.

"The same trick is not going to work twice on me." Jaden replied. "And you're going to pay for that."

Jaden smiled and punctured Jessie's neck with the arrow, causing blood to drip down and Jessie to cry out in pain. Chris took a step forward, but Jaden gave him a warning look, so he backed down. He needed a way to separate her from Jessie. He thought about the spell, it was nowhere near finished, so he needed to improvise, but he needed more time as he scrambled the words in his mind.

"I can make this very slow and painful for her, Chris." Jaden said. "I don't have a deadline here, but she does."

"So how is this going to play out?" Chris asked. "You think you are holding all the cards? The moment you kill her, there is nothing standing between us that will prevent me from going after you or orbing out of here. You will still not get to kill me."

"And you know that as long as I have her, you're not going anywhere." Jaden replied. "So do you have a proposal how we can resolve this little issue?"

"Let's just talk about this. I am sure we can work something out." Chris said in an attempt stall time as his mind was racing.

"I don't think talking is going to work here, Chris." Jaden remarked impatiently. "I don't trust you and you don't trust me, besides, I think you are only trying to stall time. Perhaps I should just kill your little slut and take my chances in killing you."

Chris looked at Jessie and saw the fear in her eyes, afraid that she was going to die. He wanted to comfort her and tell her it would be alright, but he had nothing at the moment. However, he suddenly noticed Jessie pointing down with her eyes. Chris followed her eyes and saw a small, red spark in her hand. If she could use her power on Jaden, they might have a chance to overpower her. She had underestimated Jessie and had no idea about her power, so they had the advantage of surprise on their side. Chris gave Jessie a slight nod and she seemed to understand.

"So what is it going to be, lover boy?" Jaden asked impatiently.

"Well, Jaden, I guess were at an impasse here. You're at a clear advantage here, but I think you have misread your chances slightly." Chris said as he took a step forward. "Now!"

Since Jaden was focused on Chris, she was too late to notice Jessie putting up her hand to her stomach and firing a stream of firework-like sparks directly at her. Jaden screamed as she was blown back against a bookcase and collapsed. Chris ran toward Jessie, but noticed Jaden crawling up and summoning her crossbow and firing an arrow. He flung his arm and tossed her across the room, causing her to fall behind the wooden dinner table. However, at the same time, the arrow she fired pierced his thigh and he fell down. Chris quickly yanked the arrow from his bleeding leg, but already felt the poison running through his body.

"Are you okay?" Jessie asked as she kneeled down next to him.

"Get out of here!" Chris yelled at her.

"I can't leave you here!" Jessie replied. "You've been shot."

Meanwhile, Jaden stood up behind the table and threw it aside with one simple shove of her hand. She was bleeding from her forehead, but seemed unfazed by it. She raised her crossbow again, but Chris telekinetically pushed her against the wall and it shattered.

"Now you are really pissing me off, that was my favorite crossbow." Jaden said angrily.

Jaden picked up her remaining arrow and walked toward them with the arrow in her hand like a knife, ready to stab Chris with it and end his life. Chris wanted to orb, but his power was weakened due to the poison spreading in his body. Jessie stood up and tried to move in-between them, but Jaden easily pushed her aside and kneeled down next to Chris, aiming the arrow at his heart.

"I know you are already dying from the poison." Jaden remarked. "But I always think that an arrow to the heart as something symbolic to it, since the heart represents life and all. And quite frankly, I just want to enjoy sinking this arrow in your chest and watching you die at my hands."

"Then do it." Chris said with a glare. "I know you can do it."

"Oh, thanks." Jaden replied. "But I don't need your support."

"I wasn't talking to you." Chris simple replied.

For a moment, Jaden seemed confused. Then Jessie appeared behind her and placed her hands on each side of her head before using her power. Jaden screamed in pain as she was engulfed in red sparks and was incinerated within seconds, leaving no trace behind except for the arrow she was clutching. Jessie stumbled back and looked at her hands in horror.

"It's okay." Chris whispered weakly. "She was not human, she was pure evil."

Chris wanted to say more to comfort her, but he felt himself getting weaker as the poison continued to spread through his body. His eyesight became blurry and he felt himself slipping away. He felt Jessie's hands on his shoulders shaking him and yelling at him to stay awake, but she was getting harder to hear and eventually his hearing and sight were completely gone, leaving him in a world of darkness as his heartbeat slowed down and eventually stopped.

Xxx

Noah was leaning against a tombstone as the sun set and the cemetery became dark. In the distance, street lanterns went on, but the cemetery remained dark. It was a typical place for the Spirit Killer to want to meet, since it was difficult to sense evil in the cemetery. The plan was simple, but could be effective if performed the right way. Prue would meet the Spirit Killer face to face and distract him, while Penny would sneak around them and try to stun the Spirit Killer with a potion. Noah would try to find Payton, but would orb in and take the Spirit Killer away to be recycled by the Elders as soon as they managed to stun him.

Simple, but there were so many things that could go wrong and Noah was worried about the sisters. Despite Odin's ulterior motives for having him become their Whitelighter, Noah's first priority was still the safety of the sisters. He liked them and he owed their family as well. He could not forget that. When he heard noise, Noah looked up and saw the two Halliwell sisters coming his way.

"Hey, are you ready?" Noah asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Prue replied. "There are just so many things that could go wrong."

"I was thinking the same thing." Noah admitted. "But the plan could work. Bryce wanted to meet in a cemetery because it is harder to sense evil here, but with a little luck, it will also limit his power to sense us coming."

"That's a little too much guesswork for my comfort." Penny replied uneasily. "Which is why I came with a last resort, a spell that should be able to take care of him if we can find Payton first."

"You can't vanquish Bryce with a simple spell." Noah said.

"I know, it's not a vanquishing spell." Penny replied vaguely without saying any more.

"What, you still don't trust me?" Noah asked.

"We trust you enough that we will let you find our sister." Prue replied. "Shouldn't that say enough?"

"I would just like to point out that I still don't fully trust you." Penny remarked as she raised her hands. "Just saying."

"Enough talk, let's just get this over with. This place is giving me the creeps." Prue said determined.

After checking the plan one more time, Prue headed toward the large mausoleum in the middle of the cemetery to meet with the Spirit Killer. Meanwhile, Penny headed the other direction to circle around the building and find another entrance. Noah closed his eyes and tried to focus on Payton, but his own sensing power was rather limited on the cemetery as well. However, he did manage to pick up a faint signal from inside the building. He focused on it and orbed away.

Noah reappeared inside a small room in the mausoleum in a column of orbs and found Payton lying unconscious on the floor. He quickly kneeled down and tried to heal her, though she was merely unconscious and not hurt. He stood up and looked around, only to find himself face to face with the Spirit Killer, who placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Noah, right?" Bryce said with a creepy smile. "I have been picking up all kinds of weird signals from you since you got here. I bet there are all kinds of dirty secrets floating around in that mind of yours, and I am just dying to find out."

xxx


	7. Chapter 7

Legacy 102: Dark Night Lights 7

Xxx

Prue Halliwell pressed against the heavy doors of the mausoleum and went inside. She entered a large hallway with pillars on each side and a beautiful marble floor as the room was softly lit by a large chandelier. This mausoleum was one of the largest of the cemetery, reserved for the deceased of the more wealthy families in the city. It was pretty in a somewhat creepy way. However, she could only think about one thing right now, and that was saving her sister and stopping the Spirit Killer. As she walked through the hallway, the sound of her heels echoed through the room. A little nervous, she clutched potion her coat pocket ad she looked around and waited. Behind her, a trail of dark orbs appeared and took the shape of Bryce.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Bryce said, startling Prue as she spun around.

"Bryce, so we finally meet face to face." Prue replied as she corrected herself. "Are you finally done hiding? No scary shadow this time?"

"Yeah, you know, I am still a little surprised you could actually perceive me on that roof." Bryce said with a contempt smile.

"Well, I am an Empath." Prue replied. "You cannot hide that much negativity."

"Ah yes, Empaths are always a bit tricky in my line of work." Bryce said. "You always have the annoying habit of trying to help potential targets with your touchy feely power. However, I must admit you are the first that actually gave me trouble."

"So you said earlier, is your ego still bruised?" Prue remarked.

"You know, you seem quite confident for a person coming to surrender to save your sister." Bryce replied. "You should be a little nicer to the person holding your life in his hands."

"As if it would make a difference." Prue remarked.

"Good point, so shall we get this over with then?" Bryce said. "You surrender, I will let your sister go and your life will be mine to take."

"Just one question." Prue said, knowing she needed to stall some more time for the others. "How did you even get to my sister?"

"Right." Bryce replied with a smirk as he reached into his pocket and pulled out her sister's cell phone. "I just love modern technology. It has made my work so much simpler; all I had to do was follow the signal when you called her."

"So you can manipulate technology?" Prue asked. "Big deal."

"Oh, it's quite a useful power to have." Bryce replied arrogantly. "For example, as you may or may not have noticed, this whole cemetery has security cameras, so I know you are trying to keep me distracted while your sister sneaks in through the back. Although, I could have figured that out without spying on you as well. It's a little predictable."

"Good thing we have a back-up plan ready." Prue replied as she realized she was in trouble and took a step back.

"Oh, you mean your new Whitelighter? He's not coming." Bryce asked.

Prue gasped softly as she realized all their plans had fallen through, Bryce knew everything and had the entire situation under control. Penny was on her way to attacking from behind, but he knew she was coming and Prue could only guess what he had done to Noah. She was not even sure if Payton was actually here. Bryce said he wasn't interested in her, but he could have already killed her. Perhaps they should have asked Wyatt and Chris for help after all. They could not do this alone.

"_Prue, can you hear me?_" Penny telepathically called out. "_I found a way in, but there is door with an electrical lock. I cannot get to you."_

"_I hear you; he knows what we're planning._" Prue replied mentally. "_You need to hurry._"

"_Where is Noah?_" Penny asked.

"_I think Bryce took him out._" Prue replied.

"_Hold on, I am on my way._" Penny said quickly, before the telepathic connection was cut. Prue reached into her pocket and took hold of the potion she was hiding.

"Don't do anything you will regret." Bryce remarked casually.

"Don't worry, I won't." Prue replied.

Prue draw out the potion and threw it at Bryce, who disappeared in a swirl of dark orbs before the potion could it, and it shattered on the ground. Prue turned around and started to run, but Bryce reappeared a few feet before her. Prue focused and fired a blast of psionic energy from her forehead, which expanded in a wave of pink energy. Bryce was hit by the blast and cried out in pain as he fell to his knees.

"You will pay for that." Bryce hissed as he turned invisible and disappeared from sight.

Prue looked around and tried to sense his location, but his negative emotions were everywhere and she could not pin down his location. A fear overcame her and she started to tremble. She was afraid that she was going to die, that Bryce would kill her sisters and everyone she loved. And it would all he her fault. She would be responsible for the death of her family because she could not stop him. Prue became overwhelmed with pain and guilt and fell to her knees. All kinds of negative emotions started running through her, all bad memories she ever had flashed before her eyes. She started to cry and grabbed her head. She just wanted it to stop.

"Prue!" She heard her sister call.

Prue looked up and saw Penny up on a balcony calling out to her. She jumped over the edge and levitated down. She grabbed her by the shoulders and looked her in the eyes.

"_Prue, focus. You know it's the Spirit Killer._" Penny telepathically said. "_You know what he can do, fight him!_"

Prue realized her sister was right. Her negative emotions were not real; the memories were in the past. Bryce was just toying with her. Even though she knew it was Bryce manipulating her, the feelings were so real. She needed to snap out of it. However, just as she tried to resist, Penny cried out in pain and fell over. She started to scream in agony and Prue noticed a dark shadow hovering over her. Bryce had switched targets and was now tormenting Penny. She could not let him hurt her sister like that. She needed to stop him.

"No!" Prue screamed and unleashed a powerful psionic blast.

The blast hit the shadow and it was thrown back a few feet. Bryce cried out in frustration as he reappeared on the ground. Prue quickly stood up and helped her sister up as well. Penny reached into her pocket and showed her the back-up plan, the spell she had written.

"Your Whitelighter must have told you that you can't vanquish me." Bryce said as he stood up. "And I am really getting tired of this. It's time to end it."

"We know we can't vanquish you." Penny replied. "We got something different planned. Prue, say the spell with me."

Prue nodded and looked on the paper as both sisters started chanting the spell;

"_Spirit of Evil, with words that taunt,_

_Killer of hope, for those you haunt,_

_No longer will your words torment,_

_Your wicked curse we now repent,_

_Peace and hope, we will regain,_

_As we banish you to the Astral Plane."_

For a moment, nothing happened and Bryce looked at them with a smug look on his face. However, a pentagram appeared beneath him in a golden glow and yellow smoke and orbs started to swirl around him. Bryce tried to brush away the smoke, but his hands became transparent and he looked at them in an annoyed manner.

"You think you have won?" Bryce asked calmly. "I will eventually break free from the Astral Plane and when I do, I will be coming for all three of you."

"We'll be waiting for you when you do." Prue replied.

"One more thing before I go." Bryce said. "I'd be careful about who I'd trust. That little Whitelighter of yours? I got a little peek in his brain and he has quite the checkered past. There are some big secrets buried just below that charming surface."

Bryce winked and closed his eyes as the smoke completely surrounded him. He became completely transparent and was dragging down into the pentagram without making a sound. When he was gone, the yellow orbs swirled around and entered the pentagram before it disappeared in a flash.

"What the hell was that?" Penny asked concerned.

"I don't know." Prue replied. "I know we can never believe evil, but we all had doubts about whether or not we could trust Noah. I think we need to keep an eye on him."

"I agree." Penny said. "At least we don't have to worry about that creep anymore."

"How long do you think he will stay banished?" Prue asked.

"That's impossible to say." Penny answered. "Could be a matter of years or even decades, but we might never know for sure."

"Let's just find Payton and get out of here." Prue said. "I've had enough of this mausoleum."

"Count me in; this place is giving me the creeps." Penny replied.

The two sisters explored the mausoleum and eventually they sensed Payton being near. They found both her and Noah unconscious in a storage room, but they were both alright. While Penny helped Payton, Prue helped Noah. As he woke up, Prue wondered about what Bryce had said and wondered what he was hiding. However, she was not in the mood to worry about it right now. She just wanted to get out of there and get some sleep. While Noah left to report to the Elders, Prue joined hands with her sisters and beamed all three of them home.

Xxx

When Chris woke up, he found himself hovering in a bright sky filled with white clouds. For a moment, he thought he had died from the poison, but he still felt the pain and his body was weak, meaning he was probably still alive somehow. He sat up and discovered he was dressed in a silky golden robe sometimes worn by Whitelighters. He then realized where he was, the Heavens. He looked up and saw a group of Elders standing around him, with that bastard Odin right in front of him and Sandra to his left. He did not recognize the rest. He slowly got up and corrected the restricting robe.

"We decided to give you something to wear, considering you were in your underwear when we found you." Odin remarked in an annoyed tone. "Care you explain why you were half-naked in your charge's apartment, the girl you were supposed to guide?"

"Odin, please." Sandra said. "Can't this wait for a moment? He just woke up."

"It's fine." Chris replied. "Why did you bring me here?"

"We sensed you injury, so we orbed you here. You were seconds from death." Sandra explained.

"What about Jessie?" Chris asked.

"She is fine." Odin snapped at him. "You on the other hand, are a different matter. While you knew you were being chased by a Darklighter, you broke one of our most sacred rules and endangered your charge in the process. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I know it was a mistake." Chris said. "But I only blame myself for putting her in danger; I don't care about your stupid rules."

"I beg your pardon?" Odin asked furiously.

"You heard me." Chris replied. "I never wanted to be a Whitelighter. I don't want to work for you and I don't care what you think about that. I agreed to guide my charge for the time being, until I was able to make up my mind about what I want."

"And what did you decide?" Sandra asked.

"I decided I was right all along." Chris answered. "I don't want to be a Whitelighter and I don't think I should be one. I am better at being a witch and frankly, I could not stand having your council as my bosses."

"Very well." Sandra said somewhat saddened but understanding.

"What?! How can you say that!?" Odin called out. "Being a Whitelighter is not something you refuse, it is your destiny. Furthermore, he needs to be disciplined for breaking the rules. Something needs to be done to instill some respect in this boy."

"I will never respect you, Odin." Chris snapped at him. "I will never forget everything you put my family through. And don't call me boy!"

"Enough!" Sandra said sharply, which was shocking as Chris had never heard Sandra speak in a commanding tone like that. "On behalf of the council I made a deal with Chris. If he truly does not want to accept his destiny, he should not have to. When potential Whitelighters die, they are given the choice to accept their destiny or move on to the afterlife. It is only fair Chris will get to decide as well."

"But the disrespect this boy…" Odin started, but stopped as Sandra raised her hand.

"I agree that some respect should be shown to a member of the council." Sandra said as she looked at Chris, before she turned to Odin. "Though respect should always be mutual."

"Thank you, Sandra." Chris said.

"Now Chris, I will ask you officially." Sandra said. "Are you sure that you want to refuse your destiny as a Whitelighter? Once you make this decision, know that you can never turn it back."

"I understand, and I choose my destiny as a Witch over my destiny as a Whitelighter." Chris replied formally.

"I understand." Sandra said. "The council will respect your decision."

"The boy should be stripped of his Whitelighter powers." Odin said.

"Wait, what?" Chris called out shocked.

"No, Odin." Sandra replied. "Whether or not he accepts his destiny, he was born with those powers. We cannot strip something that is a part of him."

Chris felt relieved. His powers had been a part of his life as long as he could remember; he could not even imagine living without them. He was also happy that the council accepted his decision. The last few days had made it clear to him that he was just not the right person to become a Whitelighter. As an added bonus, it also made him feel good to piss off Odin.

"So what happens now?" Chris asked.

"Now, you may leave." Odin replied annoyed. "Since you rejected your destiny, you have given up the right to access to the Heavens. Let us hope we will not see each other again."

Odin waved his hand and Chris became surrounded in a swirl of orbs and felt himself being torn away. He reappeared in the manor just a few above the ground and crashed down on the floor. He groaned in pain as he sat up. He knew Odin had done that on purpose. The golden robe had also disappeared from his body, leaving him in his t-shirt and underwear once more. However, he was glad to be home and wanted to sleep, though he needed to see Jessie first.

Xxx

A little while later, Chris appeared in front of Jessie's apartment in a column of orbs, freshly showered and fully dressed. He had checked of Wyatt and his cousins and knew everything was alright, meaning he could focus all his attention on Jessie. He knocked on the door and waited. When Jessie opened the door, she screamed and hugged him. Chris smiled as she let go and dragged him into her living room.

"I was so worried." Jessie called out. "You were dying and then you disappeared in those little blue lights. But somehow I knew you were still alive."

"I'm fine, Jessie." Chris replied with a smile. "The Elders orbed me to the Heavens to heal me. But how are you?"

"I'm alright." Jessie said. "I was a little shaken up after I killed that Darklighter, but you were right, she was evil, she would have killed both of us if I had not stopped her."

"You did the right thing." Chris assured her.

"So what happened with the Elders?" Jessie asked.

"They were mad that we… you know. Since it is against the rules." Chris explained. "But they accepted my decision, so I am no longer destined to be a Whitelighter."

"That's great." Jessie said. "But what does that mean for… us?"

"That's what I need to talk to you about." Chris replied. "I feel really bad about what happened. I mean, it was amazing, but I put your life in danger. And I feel that I took advantage of you, since you were scared and confused. It should never have happened. It was a mistake."

"I see." Jessie said somewhat saddened. "Well, I think you should not that I don't regret a thing. Yes, I was scared, but you made me feel safe, and I really needed that. After we slept together, I was able to rest for the first time in days, thanks to you being there. I don't think it was a mistake."

"Do you mean that?" Chris asked.

"Yeah, I do." Jessie said. "You did not take advantage of me. Seriously, that is almost insulting, like you need to decide what is right for me? I am an adult, Chris."

"Alright." Chris said somewhat awkwardly. "There is something else I wanted to talk to you about. I was thinking about the stuff we talked about, about destiny and all. I realized that if I had a choice in my destiny, so should you."

"What do you mean?" Jessie asked confused.

"I mean this." Chris said as he held up a small potion bottle. "This is a power binding potion. It will cause your powers to become bound, meaning you will get to live as a normal human. It will not be permanent, but it could last for years."

"So I will be normal again? No more weird fireworks or monsters coming after me?" Jessie asked.

"No, you will be as good as mortal." Chris said. "If that is what you want."

"I had some time to think when you were as well." Jessie said. "And I don't think this is the kind of life I want for myself."

"Then you should take the potion." Chris said as he pressed the potion bottle in her hands.

"Thank you." Jessie said. "So what will happen between us?"

"Whatever you want to happen." Chris replied. "I will understand if you want to forget about me and all of this."

"I don't want to forget about you, at least not just yet." Jessie replied with a smile as she placed a hand on his chest. "I was hoping you might spend the night."

"Well, you make it very hard to refuse." Chris said.

Chris smiled as he placed a hand on her cheek as kissed her. As they started making out, Jessie put the potion bottle away and took his hand as she led him back to her bedroom. Chris realized that she was never as defenseless has she had appeared and was definitely not that innocent. Even though he already knew he had made the right decision, he was now even happier that he had decided not to become a Whitelighter, as he could have never spent the night with Jessie again without some serious repercussions.

Xxx


	8. Chapter 8

Legacy 102: Dark Night Lights 8

Xxx

The following morning, Prue Halliwell woke up with a strange feeling. Her night had been filled with the horrible thoughts Bryce had placed in her mind, but she knew it was all over. Still she could not shake the feeling that something was wrong. Even though Noah had helped them, she could not get Bryce's warning out of her mind. Noah was sent to them by The Elders to prepare them for facing the Source of All Evil, but there was something more. There was something he was not telling them.

As she got out of bed and got dressed, she tried to stop thinking about it and focus on something else. She picked up her phone and called a contact of hers that she had met in college, who worked for the police department.

"Jill, hi, it's Prue." Prue said as her friend picked up. "Sorry to bother you this early, but I had a question. Yesterday, a man named Jordan Miller was admitted after a suicide attempt. I just wanted to know if he was alright. No, I promise this is not for work, it's personal, off the record."

It took some more convincing, but eventually her friend told her that Jordan was declared sane and was not considered a threat to himself anymore, meaning he would be released in a day or so. Prue felt relieved, knowing that she had at least saved an innocent from Bryce. She promised her friend they would meet for coffee soon and hung up.

As she went to the living room, she noticed both her sisters were already up and still sitting on the couch in their pajamas.

"Hey, how did you sleep?" Prue asked as she sat down next to Payton and placed a hand on her knee.

"Fine." Payton replied. "I guess most girls would be freaked out if they were kidnapped by a psychopath, but I'm a Halliwell."

"Still, it is okay to be freaked out." Prue replied. "Just because we are witches, doesn't mean we not allowed to be scared or angry or upset."

"I know." Payton said. "I had some nightmares about it, but you guys saved me and stopped the Spirit Killer. Isn't that the best we can hope for?"

"You're getting used to all of this pretty well." Penny replied. "I know I am supposed to be the tough one of the three, but what happened last night freaked me out. That creep got into my mind for just a moment, but I had never felt anything like it."

"I know what you mean." Prue said soberly, still trying to forget. "Let's hope we don't have to deal with him again for a very long time."

"Speaking about having to deal with things, did that thing Bryce said about Noah bother you as much as it did me?" Penny asked.

"Wait, what did he say about Noah?" Payton asked confused.

"That he was hiding something, that we shouldn't' trust him, probably just mind games." Penny replied trying to sound casually.

"Noah said we were supposed to guide us because we had to take responsibility for our legacy. I think Bryce proved that we could use some guidance dealing with evil, in case we can't rely on anyone else. But what if there is more to it?" Prue reasoned.

"Well, he is working for the Elders." Penny replied. "Perhaps they think that by sending Noah, they can work their way back into our family."

"But guys, are we really trusting the word of a Spirit Killer over a Whitelighter and the Elders?" Payton remarked skeptically. "His entire existence is meant to cause pain, why would you take anything he says serious?"

"I guess you're right." Prue said as she suddenly heard a knock on the door.

Prue got up and walked over to the door. When she opened it, she saw Noah standing before her dressed in jeans and a white shirt, looking cute as ever. However, she knew she should not be distracted by his charm. He sighed and let him in, closing the door behind them.

"Good to see you're still knocking." Prue remarked. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I wanted to check on you." Noah replied. "I am your Whitelighter after all, aren't I? Or do you still not want me in your lives?"

"We're fine." Penny said. "And we're still not sure about you just yet."

"I understand, but I am a little disappointed though." Noah replied sadly. "I thought me helping you out with the Spirit Killer would at least give me the benefit of the doubt. I am only here to help you, you know. Bryce was dangerous and he could have killed you, but he was just the first of the things that are to come."

"We understand." Prue said. "And we will accept your help. We just want to keep things on a professional level for now, at least until we get to know each other better."

"I can accept that." Noah said with a smile. "I am sure we will be able to work together in a friendly, yet professional manner. I will report that to the Elders."

"Alright, you should go to that." Prue replied kindly.

Noah gave her a kind smile and a nod before he disappeared in a column of orbs. Prue sighed and sat down on a chair while her sisters were looking at her with confused looks.

"If we need to find out if we can trust him, we will need to keep him close." Prue explained.

"If you think that's a good idea." Payton replied somewhat unsure.

"No, I think it's a good idea." Penny said. "Come on, we got an empath, a telepath and vision girl over here. If he is hiding something, we'll find out. Plus, you know, his butt isn't bad to look at either." She added with a wink.

"We will need to pay attention to something other than his butt as well." Prue replied as she shook her head.

"I know. It still doesn't hurt to look though." Penny remarked.

"Tell me about it." Prue replied with a smile.

The sisters started chatting about everyday things, all three of them tired of discussing magical stuff. Prue realized they still needed to get used to having magic so involved in their lives and they needed to make sure that it would not take over everything. She was happy that even after a day as yesterday, she and her sisters were still able to relax and laugh. She also started to think about their mother, and how she would have probably done the same thing with her sisters when they were younger and still kicking demon ass, which was a comforting thought. After all, her mother had aunts had been able to live relatively normal lives eventually. Prue just hoped the same thing was possible for the next generation of Halliwells.

Xxx

Later that afternoon, Chris Halliwell entered the manor through the front door. He had spent the night with Jessie, which had been great, but she had taken the power binding potion and now needed to get her life back in order. As much as Chris wanted to see her again, he realized having him in her life probably wasn't the best thing if she wanted a normal life. However, that did not mean he could never see her again. After all, they were both free of their destinies, so there was nothing holding them back. As Chris headed into the foyer, he noticed his brother Wyatt coming down the stairs.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Chris asked.

"Good, the poison has completely worn off." Wyatt replied. "Sorry I wasn't much help against that Darklighter. How are you?"

"Still a little sore, but I'll be fine." Chris replied. "And don't worry about the Darklighter, I managed to deal with her."

"I heard that wasn't all you did." Wyatt replied with an amused smile.

"Shut up, we're not talking about that." Chris replied somewhat embarrassed.

"Fine, whatever." Wyatt called out as he raised his hands. "So I heard you handed in your resignation with the Elders. I assume they were not happy with that."

"Odin was furious, but the rest of the council accepted by decision." Chris told him.

"I still think you acted a bit rash though, you never really gave being a Whitelighter a chance." Wyatt said. "Maybe you would have been great."

"It's not about that, Wyatt." Chris replied. "I just don't want anyone to decide for me what I should do. Besides, I love being a witch and I can help plenty of people this way without having to answer to a bunch of bureaucratic angels."

"I guess we're pretty different then." Wyatt replied with a smile. "You're so much like mom sometimes, stubborn as hell."

"And you're pretty much a clone of dad, so I guess we even out." Chris remarked.

Both brothers laughed and Chris realized he was happy with the choices he had made. Wyatt was the Whitelighter of the family, he did not need to be like his brother or his dad, just his own person. Meanwhile, the front door opened and Henry Jr. came walking in.

"What's going on?" Henry asked.

"Just catching up." Chris replied.

"Great, you know how you guys were talking about changing things around here and putting up some rules?" Henry remarked annoyed. "That doesn't just go for chores or who does the cooking around here. You guys faced a Darklighter and you could have died, meanwhile Prue, Penny and Payton were nearly killed by a Spirit Killer because they needed to handle things on their own for some reason. Ever stop to think I could do more than just hang around here and do nothing?"

"You're right." Wyatt said. "I was pretty much unconscious, but I heard what you and my dad talked about. We're all in this together now and we need to start looking after each other better."

"But the girls are trying to take care of themselves." Chris replied.

"But we're still a family, and we help each other however we can. We can't interfere in their lives all the time, but we shouldn't let them face thing like this alone either." Wyatt said.

"That's easier said than done." Chris remarked.

"It's like uncle Leo said, we need to find a balance between helping each other and interfering." Henry said. "Which also means that we need to ask for help when we need it."

"You're right." A voice sounded behind them.

The three cousins turned around and noticed Prue, Penny and Payton appearing behind them in the foyer in a pink glow.

"What are you guys doing here?" Chris asked.

"We just stopped by, but we overheard what you guys were talking about." Prue replied. "You're right, we took a big risk going after the Spirit Killer alone, but we need to be able to defend ourselves as well. It's like you said, we need to find the balance."

"Man, even if my dad isn't around as much anymore, he is still helping us." Wyatt said with a smile.

"Yeah, I guess he is a pretty good teacher." Chris added. "So are you girls staying for dinner?"

"Sure." Payton replied.

"Great, I know just what to make." Henry Jr. said.

"yeah, I think I'll prefer a pizza." Penny remarked.

"Hey, I happen to be an amazing cook." Henry replied insulted.

As his cousins continued bickering about dinner and headed to the kitchen, Chris exchanged looks with Wyatt and both brothers smiled. Having everyone around reminded both of them of the time their mother was still around and they were all together. Their family had changed a lot lately and they had to miss a lot of people, but they were still a family, more determined than ever to stay together. It sounded sappy, but Chris did not really care.

xxx

In the Heavens, Noah appeared in a column of orbs in a remote and quiet location. He impatiently paced around and waited for a cloaked figure to appear out of the mist. The figure removed his cloak and revealed himself to be Odin.

"So what do you have to report?" Odin asked.

"The sisters are willing to work with me." Noah answered. "But the Spirit Killer read my mind, he knows all about me. If he ever comes back, he might expose me."

"He was banished to the Astral Plane, it will take him a while to break free, plenty of time for you to achieve your goal."

"But I still don't like it. The Halliwells are good people. Why do we need to trick them to get them on our side?" Noah asked. "If we tell them our intentions, we can unite against the Source and vanquish him once and for all."

"We cannot take that chance." Odin said. "You know about the body the Source inhabits. We need the Halliwells on our side, so they will listen to us without question and do as we say. Any hesitation from their part and evil will win."

"But…" Noah replied, before he was distracted by another figure coming out of the mist, who removed her cloak and revealed herself to be Sandra.

"I am afraid Odin is right." Sandra replied. "As much as I disagree with his methods, we have to put the Greater Good first. Chris has refused his calling and it beyond our influence now, meaning we have even less chance to get them ready."

"What about Wyatt?" Noah asked.

"I am sure he will listen to reason, but we cannot be sure it will be enough." Sandra said. "The sisters are important and we need them on our side."

"But what if they discover my secret? They will never trust me again." Noah replied.

"You listen to me, boy." Odin said angrily. "If it were up to me, I would have recycled you after the horrible crime you committed. You are lucky Sandra gave you a chance and only demoted you. This is your only chance to redeem yourself and become an Elder once more."

"I understand." Noah said reluctantly.

"I have put my faith in you, Noah, because I see the good in you. I know you can convince the sisters to work with us." Sandra said. "You just need to believe this is truly for the best."

"I know." Noah admitted. "I won't let you down."

Sandra and Odin nodded and both put their cloaks back on before they turned around and disappeared from his sight, leaving a conflicted Noah standing alone in the eternal mist.

xxx

The End


End file.
